The Nekomata Guardian
by DameM
Summary: She was their guardian and it was her responsibility to keep them safe.  Not always an easy task with a pack of independent demons, half demons, and humans.  Such was the life of an elder.
1. Part One: Feudal Era: Chapter 1

_A/N: Part four in the __**HK**__/__**HM**__/__**FOB**__ series. _

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 1_

It had been months since she was back home in the village where Sango had settled with Miroku and the others but she was quite happy to take a break from the traveling and the demon slaying to concentrate on raising her own kittens. And continue raising the other batch of children she had watched over and maneuvered for the last several decades. At the moment she was trying to nap under the Goshiboku but Inuyasha's quiet panicking in the tree's upper branches was not making for a successful endeavor.

"Mew!" she scolded, trying to get the pup to tell her what was wrong.

"She's going to have a girl, Kirara. A little, innocent girl. I sound like Miroku and that's ticking me off. If he finds out that I'm having just as many problems as he did when Amami and Akeno were going to be born, he'll never let me forget it."

The nekomata was tempted to roll her eyes. The hanyou wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know. Honestly, what was it with the men of this pack and their desire to shut away their daughters? If any of them so much as thought that they were going to have a girl (or in Miroku's case twin girls) every male in the village was given the evil eye. They verbally panicked and made threats that they couldn't hope to carry out with their sharped eared wives around.

She'd known that Inuyasha had been anything but calm about the fact that he was now having a little girl. What had surprised her was his ability to so far hide the fact from Kagome. "Mew," she said sympathetically.

"I'm acting like an idiot, I know." Since there was nothing she could say to that that would help, Kirara kept silent. "Sorry about disturbing your nap. I'll go back to the house now." He scratched her behind the ears, getting a purr in thanks, before he wandered home.

Those kittens were a trial but she loved them. And speaking of kittens, hers wandered up, destroying any hope of having that lazy, afternoon nap. She let them climb over and around her, giving them short baths if they were in easy reach of her tongue. "Kirara, let me take them from you. They should be practicing with my kids. You go ahead and nap." Sango, heavy with her newest set of twins waddled up and called the small nekomatas to her.

"Mew," she sighed in appreciative relief, ordering the four scamps to go with the taijiya. Closing her eyes, she listened with half an ear as the group left the shaded cover of the God Tree. The early autumn air blew through the clearing in a gentle breeze, ruffling the cream and black fur that covered the older fire cat. Kirara didn't mind, the coolness was refreshing and she dozed without worry.

As dusk settled on the plains of Musashi, Kirara rejoined her family. The kittens ran around the clearing in between the two huts and she watched with open affection as they tried dodging Akeno and Amami's efforts to catch them. The practice was good for both human and nekomata children so she didn't interfere when one kitten called out to her in complaint. Sango and Kagome folded laundry in the dying light while Miroku and Inuyasha sat to one side with their sons discussing the day's work. The half demon showed none of the angst that had appeared earlier in the day and for that she was thankful. He was still young so she imagined it was all right for him to have panic attacks about becoming a father to a little girl. After his brother's performance during Rin's wedding, it was little wonder he was freaking out. The men of the Western pack made excellent fathers even if they were a bit over protective.

"Kirara, are you hungry? Inuyasha caught you some fish." Kagome motioned for the fire cat to go ahead of her into the miko's kitchen. A large filleted fish sat on a plate waiting for the elder to eat. She purred to let the priestess know it was appreciated and ate while watching the two women prepare food for their own families. Sometimes she wondered why they didn't just combine their households and be done with it. Except for their sleeping arrangements, it didn't seem as if they spent many meals or days apart. Any cleaning they did was together, as the large operation that washing the linen and clothes required. The only time they really spent separate was if Kagome was tending to the villagers' needs as the resident miko or Sango was teaching the girls the way of the demon exterminators.

Thoughts of the slayers brought Kohaku and Rin to mind. She knew they were perfectly content to make their home in the slayers' village but she wished they were closer for her to watch over. It was hard letting a kitten you'd help raise out of your sight and away from your protection. She was in perfect sympathy with the demon lord on that. She was also well aware of the fact that Ah-Un would not let anything bad happen to the newlyweds but that didn't mean she liked not knowing what was going on.

Being a guardian to a large group of independent demons, half demons and humans was turning out to be difficult. Oh, well, such was the life of an elder.

* * *

The scouting party came through the portal and stopped when their queen raised her hand. They looked around, suddenly apprehensive. This was not the human world they were accustomed to visiting. The hills were more rocky then green and the air was tinged with the fragrance of life that they did not find in the Gaelic country. Where were they? The seer had insisted that this was the place Sheridan was located.

"Remain invisible. We don't know what creatures lurk here or what the humans of this land would think of us. Go cautiously but search this place. I want to know everything."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the chorused and spread out. Kellan took the most direct route to the human settlement she could sense nearby. At the edge of a large clearing two families laughed and played, the little ones oblivious to any potential danger. Two-tailed kittens romped in the lush grass and she couldn't help but smile at their antics. Women soon joined the men and she studied each one, looking for signs of the great-grandchild she'd lost. There was nothing. An older cat came out of one house and instead of going to tend to her kittens she looked towards where the Fae queen stood. Ruby eyes narrowed and she approached without concern for her safety.

"I will not harm your humans," the queen said and watched as the cream and black head was tilted in confusion. A small growl was issued forth and Kellan raised her hands in a universal sign of surrender. Apparently satisfied the strange cat returned to her family.

Maybe returning Sheridan to her rightful place would not be so easy.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Six of my regular reviewers to thank: __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Esha Napoleon**__, __**GoldenRose88**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, __**blackdame**__, and __**Puppylove7**__. And to those of you who've added this or its author to your lists. I know I may have confused you all a bit with the last chapter but I promise things will become clearer with future chapters. This one should answer any questions you may have about who Sheridan really is._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 2_

Kirara was silent for the rest of the night, growling lowly at her kittens if they disturbed her. Sango shot her the occasional glance but didn't ask her longtime companion what was wrong. For that the fire cat was grateful because she wasn't sure what _was_ wrong, if anything. The appearance of the stranger at the edge of the clearing bothered her not so much because she had intruded on her kittens' privacy but because none of the other demons, whole or otherwise, had seemed to sense her. Inuyasha hadn't batted an eye much less an ear so Kirara could only assume he hadn't smelled or heard the other woman.

Granted, the stranger didn't seem to mean them harm but she hadn't been human and she definitely hadn't been Japanese. The golden locks and purple eyes as vivid as irises were proof enough without adding the strange clothing. The elder had thought for a brief second that she had been from Kagome's time but she'd never seen the miko wear a cloak before. Yet there was something almost familiar about the stranger too…

"Meow!" she shouted, startled by the realization that had hit her.

"Kirara, is something the matter?" Sango picked the two-tailed cat up and looked her in the eye. Eyes were narrowed in concentration and her friend's hair was starting to stand on end.

Kirara nodded vigorously, needed to check the woods once again. If what she supposed was true, a lot of people were about to get a big surprise. "Mew!" she agreed, hoping her kitten would open the outside door for her.

"Miroku, Kirara thinks there's something wrong. Will you go check it out with her?"

"Of course, my dear. After you, Kirara." The monk opened the door and waited while Kirara sprang out of Sango's arms and dashed toward the last spot she had seen the stranger. She transformed, wanting to be prepared for any eventuality. "What is it?" Miroku questioned urgently. She never transformed unless she thought something was wrong.

Inuyasha pushed open his shoji, having sensed the change in Kirara's _youki_. "What's going on?"

"I don't know; she's been acting different all evening. Kirara thinks there's something in the woods." The half demon studied the fire cat before turning his attention to where she was looking.

"I don't sense anything but that doesn't mean there isn't something there. She's an elder so her senses could probably pick up on something mine can't. Show us, Kirara."

Kirara didn't need to be told twice. She went to the spot she'd last seen the stranger and nosed the ground when she found footprints. Inuyasha crouched and studied the marks, finding an unfamiliar pattern and scent in the ground. It was so faint that if he hadn't been so close, he wouldn't have picked it up.

"It's not a youkai, whatever it is. And not human either. It's something…_other_."

"_Other_? You mean like the _other_ that's in Azami's scent?"

"Yeah…exactly like that. Crap, we have to tell Sesshoumaru about this right away. If part of Azami's past has come back, there's no telling what trouble could be ahead. And my brother won't take any threat to his new mate lying down. He'll go on the warpath if he thinks she's in danger. Kirara, is whoever it is still here?"

The nekomata studied the woods, stepping into the underbrush briefly. Turning to look at the dog demon, she shook her large head in answer. The stranger had left for the moment, but there was little doubt she would be back. "Merow," she rumbled; concern in her jeweled eyes.

"I hear you. This isn't going to be pretty."

* * *

Kellan sat on a rock by the riverbank and gazed off into space. She did not like the fact that the cat was more than she appeared to be. There was definitely something _different_ about several members of that extended family. "Your Majesty, is something wrong?"

"We are not in the Highlands of the Gaelic country. Nor are we in the Celts' land. This place is entirely new with its own set of supernatural beings. We must be cautious. There is an elder here who could do much damage to us if she wished. The first thing we should do is come to understand their language. Return to the castle and bring one of the interpreters back. And tell the seer to keep looking for my great-grandchild. She isn't in this spot anymore."

"Yes, my queen."

* * *

Kirara remained outside the rest of the night to keep watch for the stranger. Since none of the others could detect this creature, it was up to her to keep watch. Inuyasha had sent Shippou off to the West with a message for his brother before returning to his mate and pup. Miroku and done likewise after resting his hand on her head in thanks. The two men would not sleep deeply this night.

Morning found the fire cat with drooping eyes and once she was sure Inuyasha was awake, she shrunk to her smaller size and curled up in a patch of sun to get some much needed rest. The stranger's aura would bring her out of her slumber but she needed what rest she could get. It would be at least a day and more before the demon lord was able to return to Lady Kaede's village. It would be even longer if he had to argue with Azami about whether or not she was going too. Somehow she figured the new lady would be joining her lord no matter what the dog demon's opinion on the matter was.

* * *

Shippou flew as quickly as his bubble form would allow, knowing that the errand Inuyasha had sent him on was gravely important. Since Myoga wasn't around to send to Sesshoumaru, they couldn't wait until the flea decided to show up. Whatever had the half demon worried was nothing to mess with. The kitsune hadn't read the brief note but he'd guess that it had to do with Kirara staying outside all night. He hadn't sensed anything wrong but Shippou had to admit his nose wasn't as sharp as a dog demon's. And his ability to feel _youki_ from far away wasn't as developed yet. That would come with age and he knew as the elder of their pack, Kirara could sense the furthest. Being a nekomata also meant she was more sensitive than other youkai to different energies.

The kit rested for a few hours, eating the bento that his mother had packed for him. He even dozed for a little while before continuing on. At sun down he came upon the castle high in the mountain and he was thankful that he'd been there once before. Several guards halted his entry until a familiar and somewhat dreaded voice saved him from interrogation.

"If it isn't my little kitsune grandson. What brings you here all by yourself?"

"Inuyasha sent a message to Sesshoumaru, Obaa-sama." Hisana's brows raised in surprise. She knew the boys were on better terms but she didn't think they were pen pals. "About what?"

"I don't know. He just said that it was too important to wait until Myoga-jijii got around to showing up." Shippou came to sit on the demoness' shoulder and told her about everything that had happened lately. It had been a couple of months since they'd last seen each other.

Worry furrowed Hisana's brow momentarily while she brought the child to her son's office. Without bothering to knock, the Lady Mother entered the normally sacred sanctuary. "Mother," the demon lord uttered before turning his gaze on the kit. "Shippou. Why has my brother allowed you to travel by yourself? I would think imouto would have forbidden it."

"Kagome tried but Inuyasha insisted I was the only one who could bring this to you quickly enough." The child handed the scroll over, watching as the demon lord read the short note. Sesshoumaru's _youki_ fluctuated dangerously, visibly swirling in the air. Whatever the note contained was not good for the health of anyone standing nearby.

"I see. We will return in the morning. Rest because I will not be stopping."

"Yes, sir," Shippou said. Hisana and he watched as Sesshoumaru exited the room, a faint but distinct slamming of the shoji door letting them know his mood. "Wow, he's angry now."

Hisana didn't reply until she had read the note from her stepson. "And rightly so."

"Huh?"

"It seems as if Azami's past is finally catching up to her."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: An update so fast, there were no reviews yet for the last chapter. I told some of you I had a lot of free time today._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 3_

Sesshoumaru was ready to kill someone. And it wasn't going to be a quick death by slicing off someone's head. When he'd read the note from his brother, he'd been enraged. Whoever had come for Azami had better be ready for a fight because he wasn't letting anyone near his mate that meant her harm.

Slamming into the suite he shared with his beloved, the demon lord snarled openly. Azami, who had been resting before dinner, opened her eyes at the sound. "Anata?"

"Inuyasha sent me a note. I must go to his village. There could be trouble."

"Trouble that he can't handle? I don't believe that. What's really going on?"

"It seems that Lady Kirara has detected an intruder of _other_ origins. It is neither youkai nor human."

"_Other_? You mean…?"

"Indeed. I do not want you to worry, koneko. I shall investigate. If they mean you harm, I will annihilate them."

"But…they could answer so many questions, Sesshoumaru. What if someone's been looking for me? Didn't Yuki tell you that my great-grandmother had told her that her people were like youkai but not? What if that's who is here?"

"It is a possibility. I want you to stay here. The pup is giving you trouble already."

"I am two months gone with child. It is quite common for me to be having morning sickness. Most humans do, anata."

"Still. You will remain."

"Absolutely not. If there's some chance this is a relative, I want to know. And I can't believe you want me to stay here with your mother as a companion. Satsuki-sama is not here now."

Sesshoumaru frowned, in complete sympathy with her desire not to be alone with his mother for an extended length of time. "I will not put you in harm's way."

"I won't be, if I'm with you." Azami smiled winningly, knowing he was going to cave. A male dog demon liked to be flattered in such a way. It satisfied their ego to think that their mates had such confidence in their ability to protect them. She held out a hand so that he could help her rise. "Please, Sesshou? I want to know the truth. If there's any chance…" Tears studded her eyes, her hormones getting the best of her.

"Fine. We will leave first thing in the morning." He sighed, knowing that he would have to get used to the fact that her needs came before his own. His desire to protect her notwithstanding, he wanted her to have the answers that had so far eluded her. Even his _youki_ had not been able to heal the forgotten memories of her childhood that were the result of her accident.

"Thank you," Azami said softly, snuggling into his warmth. The early fall air was cold high on the mountain. Even though there were places in the castle to have fires, youkai rarely needed to light them for heat. A stove had been built in their bedchamber right after their return so that she could be warm. So far, the only place she felt completely warm was in his arms. Not that either minded.

Sesshoumaru clasped her to him lightly; afraid any sudden movement would result in a mad dash to the pot kept beside the raised futon. It seemed that his pup did not like the activity of late. Or rather pups; he had the nasty suspicion that she was carrying twins. He couldn't yet tell for sure but in another few days the scents should be distinct enough to let him know. It would be interesting to see what she made of that if it were true. He just hoped that one pup was a boy. That way he wouldn't be completely surrounded by women.

"Sesshou, is something else wrong?"

"Hn, I was just thinking."

"Oh, nothing bad I hope."

"Ridiculous," he answered. "Come, it is no doubt time you ate. And the kitsune is probably hungry."

"Kitsune?" Azami questioned, pulling away from him. "You mean Shippou delivered the note? Why didn't you say he was here?" She dressed swiftly, moving out into the hall without waiting for her mate. Sesshoumaru trailed behind her silently, knowing there was no right answer to that question. If he tried to explain that it hadn't been foremost in his mind, she'd just get angry. The kit _was_ his adopted nephew and as such should have been given due consideration. Something she would point out with a glare if he opened his mouth.

No one ever said the demon lord didn't learn from his mistakes.

* * *

The royal inuyoukai couple didn't start out first thing in the morning like Sesshoumaru had planned. In fact, it was almost midday before they left the castle. Shippou floated beside the dog demon as he coasted along. Azami couldn't take the speed with which he'd wanted to travel so Sesshoumaru had to content himself with the plodding pace.

They didn't make it to Inuyasha's until much before dusk and by that time Azami was ready to retire for the night. She ate little and gratefully went to bed in the same room she and her mate had used before. Her other half sat silently at the table, sharing the time with his sibling and listening to what they had to say about the stranger in their midst. Kirara sat on one end of the low table, nodding or shaking her head as the occasion and question called for. She might not be able to answer them verbally at first but that didn't mean she couldn't correct Miroku and Inuyasha as necessary.

"I do not like this, Inuyasha." The demon lord put his empty cup down, noticing that his sister-in-law and Sango were drifting to sleep. "We will speak about this again in the morning. For the moment, you should tend to your women."

"Sure, let's go, wench. Time for bed." Kagome merely nodded, not making an issue of the name. Which just went to show how tired she was.

Kirara watched the two young men gather their families and retire for the night. Going outside with the demon lord, she perched on the well so that she had a better view of the woods. "Do you think the stranger is a threat, Lady Kirara?"

"Mew," she said shaking her head. Kirara was well aware of his concerns. There was also little doubt that Azami had wormed her way into coming. Both brothers and Miroku were hard pressed to deny the women they loved anything if it was possible. Azami's lost memories of before she came to Japan might just be able to be restored or at least reconstructed by the being that had come.

"Show me where this creature was, if you please." Since realizing who she really was, the dog demon had been unfailingly polite to the nekomata.

Kirara jumped down, wandering to the edge of the clearly. She nosed the spot where the woman had stood just as she had done for Inuyasha. "Mew?" she asked, wanting to know whether or not he had as much trouble sensing the _other_ aura as his brother had.

"Hn. If this being has any ill intentions, I will not hesitate to eliminate it. I do not care if it is related to my mate."

"Mew!" she yelled, in complete agreement.

"I leave the guarding to you, Lady Kirara." That he did so answered her question. He couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary either. Knowing that his sense of smell and hearing was even better than his brother's made the situation dire indeed. She twitched her tails and went back to her spot on the edge of the well. It might tire her out but there was no way she was going to let this batch of kittens go unprotected.

Regardless of what any one of them thought, they still needed their nekomata guardian.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Seven people to thank: __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**GoldenRose88**__, __**Puppylove7**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, __**ScarletCamellia**__, and __**Esha Napoleon**__. And thank you to those of you who've put this or I on your lists. This includes __**ananova's**__ C2. I've been remiss in thanking those that put my stories in their communities. And I apologize for not getting this out sooner. It just wasn't coming to me._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 4_

Azami woke in the early morning hours. She was surprised that Sesshoumaru was not by her side. Lately he had been taking to staying with her at least until she roused enough to hear him. "Sesshou?"

"You should rest." Turning, she propped herself on her elbow to look at him. He was leaning against the wall, gazing out the small window.

"I woke and you weren't next to me." He made no reply, knowing that he always stayed with her. "Are you worried about who the stranger is?"

"I cannot sense her. I do not like being made a fool. If this creature tries to hurt you, I will kill her."

"So you've said. Sesshou, Lady Kirara doesn't seem to think that she's a threat, does she?"

"No but she is not ready to trust her either. Inuyasha and I shall go scouting this morning. You are to stay near the fire cat."

"Yes, my love. Now, if you don't mind…" Azami rose and made her way quickly to the bucket Kagome had provided her.

Sesshoumaru barely refrained from wrinkling his nose in disgust at the smell of her sickness but he joined her and held her hair back. After she had wiped her mouth and rinsed, he gently laid her back onto their futon. "Go back to sleep."

"I seem to be quite tired."

"It is the pregnancy. You will be fine." Brushing the hair away from her face, he kissed her forehead and left the room to go join his brother who was waiting. The younger Taisho said nothing about the conversation he'd overhead.

"Let's go find some intruders." They left behind a vigilant nekomata, still tired from the night before but unwilling to allow her precious kittens to go unprotected. Once Miroku woke for the day she would doze. Hopefully by then Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha would have found the stranger. She was starting to get the feeling that the odd person was not alone.

* * *

Kellan washed in the river as quickly as she could, wanting to be prepared to return to the clearing that had housed the two families. Her servants and others in the group she'd brought with her were anxious to find Sheridan and return home. They didn't like being in a foreign land that knew nothing of them and did not respect them. There were other supernatural creatures here that took precedent and be they good or evil, the humans feared them. It was also impossible to tell how well they could defend themselves against such creatures. The Fae derived their powers from nature and so far they couldn't determine the source of the others' powers.

"We are ready, Your Majesty."

"Then let us return. Has the interpreter been able to learn the language?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. I wish to question that family. They are set apart from the rest of the village. There is something odd or special about them. If anyone has seen my great-granddaughter, it is they."

* * *

While Kellan and the other Fae made their way back to the clearing on a circular route, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha followed the queen's footsteps to the river from the other direction. When they got to the campsite, the dog demons stiffened as they counted the number of different impressions they found in the earth. "There are a lot of them." Inuyasha frowned when he saw the direction the people had taken. "Looks like they're headed for the clearing."

"Kuso." Since Inuyasha's thoughts were the same, there was no sense in uttering the curse twice. They raced back, making it in time to see Miroku appear from his house.

"Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, what's wrong?"

"There's more than one and they're headed this way. Get the girls up." On alert, the dog demons searched the clearing, straining their already acute senses. Kirara was dozing, at her limit as far as energy reserves went.

The three female warriors stumbled outside in various states of dress, a sickly pall over their faces. "Sesshoumaru?"

"Go back inside. Keep the children safe. Do not come out until I tell you."

"Of course, nii-san." Azami was the only one who hesitated and had to be pulled along by Kagome. "Everything will be all right, nee-san."

"Y-yes, I know."

Sesshoumaru snarled, not liking the trace of fear in his mate's voice. Being pupped had put her in an emotional wringer and she was not herself first thing in the morning. Nor at any other time of the day for that matter. "Lady Kirara. Where are those intruders?" he had the sudden need to kill something.

"Mew…" she said tiredly. The visitors were nowhere near the clearing as she had put out a false trail during the night, knowing they would trace the one being that held the most potential power. It would be some time before the stranger she had met came to the realization that they'd been deceived.

"Sleep, my good friend, and we shall keep watch." Miroku sank down beside the nekomata and petted the cream coat. He received a purr in acknowledgement. "Kirara has been out here two nights in a row. She must have diverted their attention away from here for the moment so that she could rest. Why is that she is the only one who can sense these people?"

"She's an elder. Her ability to sense strange energies is better than ours because she's older than the rest of us. The longer a youkai lives, the more sensitive to nature she or he becomes. If something different disturbs their surroundings, demon elders will know about it. Bokuseno is a perfect example. He's an ancient tree demon." Sesshoumaru let a small frown furrow his brow momentarily.

"He's the one our scabbards are made out of, isn't he?" Inuyasha asked. He had never met the magnolia tree demon.

"Indeed. Only his power could seal the powers of Tetsusaiga, Tenseiga, and Bakusaiga away." Even with his new sword, Sesshoumaru was nowhere near strong enough to defeat the demon tree. It was a good thing that the youkai was benign.

"I see. I never thought that Kirara was _that_ old."

"I told you, she sees us as her kittens. She's taken it upon herself to be our guardian, whether we need one or not. Although at the moment I'm saying we do. I have my suspicions that she fought with Midoriko too. That would put her way passed Sesshoumaru's decrepit age of four hundred plus."

"Decrepit?" his brother said, insulted at the mere suggestion.

"Sorry, private joke," Inuyasha snickered, thinking of the conversation he'd once had with Eri. Or was it Yuka? He shook his head, not remembering which school girl had been interested in his brother before she found out he was not only too old for her but also taken.

"Hn," the demon lord said, not interested in his brother's musings. "If she has thrown them off the trail, we must find them first. If I can help it, I do not want them around Azami. We confront them and demand to know what they want with my mate."

"Sure, I'll take to the trees; see if I can't smell any disturbance from there. Miroku, stay here in case Kirara needs help. Sesshoumaru, can you search from the air? Maybe their disguise can be seen through from a different angle. Or else you can see the path they take by the movement of the trees and bushes."

Slightly impressed with Inuyasha's planning, the demon lord merely nodded. This once he would not make an issue of his little brother ordering him around. "Let's go."

"Right." Miroku watched the dog demons leave, one by air, and the other by land.

"I hope this works, Kirara." The nekomata didn't answer. She was sound asleep, her own dreams revolving around the kittens she protected.

The monk continued to be on guard, wondering if age and power were the only things that made an elder an elder. Perhaps he would save that question for when he saw the Lady Mother again. A noise behind him had him whirling, staff at the ready. "Sango."

"I needed to use the facilities, such as they are. Miroku, are we safe?"

"I do not believe they mean us harm physically, my dear," he tried to reassure. She always became concerned for her safety when pregnant. "Let us get you back inside quickly. There's no telling when the strangers will appear."

"All right."

* * *

Kellan glared at the two scouters in the front, wanting to know how they could have been fooled so easily by a false trail. By the time they backtracked to the clearing it was near midday and she was desperate to find out about her little one. The two silver-white haired brothers had tried tracking them so returning to the families had been difficult without giving away their positions.

Now they stood at the edge of the woods, watching as the women came out into the open for the first time that day. The taller brother had come sometime yesterday Kellan knew and was not a being to be trifled with. She gasped as an auburn haired lady went up to him and placed her hand on his long sleeve. The sense of another faerie's energy spoke to her and she stepped forward without thinking.

Kirara, still dozing, woke with a growl already coming out of her throat. She jumped up, running to place herself in between the pack and the strangers. Transforming, she watched with large ruby eyes as the woman who she'd met before came out of hiding. Without her protective shielding, every demon and human got a good look at her. Golden hair trailed down her back in thick locks while purple eyes became fixed on Azami.

Kirara didn't pay any attention to the whispers behind her, not daring to take her attention off of the intruder. "Merow!" she warned, noticing the slightly dazed look entering the woman's eyes.

Kellan paid the suddenly large saber tooth no mind as she reached out and uttered a name unfamiliar to everyone. "Sheridan…" Again the nekomata warned the stranger to keep her distance, feeling the distress of those behind her but the woman simply repeated the name.

"Sheridan…my little one."


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Thank you to **ILoveInuyasha4Eva**, **blackdame**, **Puppylove7**, **Victoria Pendragon**, **Esha Napoleon**, **ScarletCamelia**, and **xxdarienchibaloverxx** for their reviews. And thank you to anyone who added this or its author to your lists. You can all crawl back over the edge of the cliff now. And you might want to keep a tissue or two handy, just in case._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 5_

The Western pack gazed at the woman in stupefaction for several silent moments before Sesshoumaru growled in anger and began to transform. If Kellan had been nervous about Kirara's sudden growth, she would soon be terrified of the demon lord's. The Fae queen had finally come to her senses and was just starting to realize that they considered her a threat to someone in their family.

Kellan watched the taller of the two brothers become a gigantic dog and stepped back when one forepaw came crashing down in front of her. Red eyes gazed at her malevolently, teeth exposed in a snarl. "Your Majesty," the interpreter whispered frantically, as her party caught up to her. "Perhaps now would be the time to tell them we mean them no harm."

Kirara watched from behind Sesshoumaru's true form but did not revert to her smaller size just because the demon lord had taken on the visitor. She kept Azami and the other women behind her while Inuyasha and Miroku went to flank the elder Taisho. She nudged her kittens backwards, hoping that they understood her silent message to retreat back into the house. Of course, they didn't listen. Refraining from sighing, the fire cat gave up the attempt after several bumps went unanswered. They certainly were stubborn kittens. She was just thankful the little ones had not disobeyed any orders and remained hidden.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha demanded, Tetsusaiga transformed and ready to cut down anyone who threatened his pack.

Kellan listened while the interpreter translated the question, frowning at the young man's aggression. She could understand why they would be wary, but certainly not enough to want to tear into them, as the large demonic dog seemed to want to. Was that acid dripping from his mouth? "I am Kellan, queen of the Fae, and that woman over there is my great-granddaughter Sheridan. She was lost to us over three hundred years ago and I have been searching for her ever since."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes but called back the poisonous acid that wanted to drool out of his mouth as he listened to the explanation. So far she was correct in the timing but if she had been a person trying to kill Azami as a child, then she would have known how long his mate had been away from her homeland. Assuming her appearance in Japan was the result of an attack and not an accident like they'd always thought. A growl erupted from his throat, telling the intruders that they would have to do better than that.

"Fae…" he heard Kagome whisper, trying to recall what, if anything, she knew about these creatures. Maybe coming from the future would be helpful in this case. "Faeries! They're faeries, nii-san!"

"Aye," Kellan admitted, wanting peace. Normally she wouldn't mind causing a bit of conflict between mortals but these were obviously no ordinary mortals.

"But I thought Titania was the queen." Confusion furrowed the young woman's brow.

"She is one of many. Now, if you please, I wish to take my great-grandchild home." Kellan was surprised when Sheridan shrank back.

"I don't know you," Azami said, trying to draw on her normal fortitude. Being pregnant had thrown her emotions all out of whack and she wasn't sure she was coming off as forceful as she usually did.

"Don't be ridiculous child, of course you do. I raised you after your parents died." Kellan stepped forward, her actions halted by the combined growling of dog demon and cat.

"I do not know you," Azami repeated, her aura fluctuating outwardly. The pale purple light covered her in a protective shield.

"Ah…" Kagome started, wondering how to prevent a small war.

""Perhaps, it is best to say that she does not remember you, if you are who you say you are." Miroku tried to be diplomatic. There wasn't room here to start the fight he could sense brewing.

"Why wouldn't she? She was but ten when she disappeared."

"I lost my memory," Azami stated, daring the golden haired woman to make an issue out of that fact. Many had not believed her in the beginning.

"Your memory? The Fae don't lose their memories…" Someone on her right spoke into the queen's pointed ear and she sighed. "I suppose it is possible, you are only an eighth Fae. The human blood in you must have prevented your dormant magic from healing your mind." Kellan seemed to slump in on herself. She had thought it would be an easy thing, finding and coming to rescue her little one.

Seeing that the threat had been neutralized, Sesshoumaru returned to his humanoid form. He immediately went to Azami's side and placed an arm around her briefly in comfort. "Go inside, all of you. Inuyasha and I will handle this."

"Anata?"

"The monk will be with you. Rest and I shall bring you what she tells me." Kirara gently butted her head against Azami's side, the other expecting mothers having gotten the hint finally. "Lady Kirara agrees."

"Well, we can't argue with an elder, can we?" Azami smiled, stroking the soft fur that was in easy reach. Kirara rumbled in answer, following the children inside without bothering to shrink.

Sesshoumaru faced the Fae queen, his ice gold eyes still narrowed. "Explain yourself. If she is mostly human, why did you bother looking for her after all this time? She would have died long ago if it wasn't for my father."

"I began searching for her the moment she disappeared. Over the years we would detect traces of her energy but could never pinpoint just where she was. I never gave up hope and assumed that being an eighth Fae would give her an extended life span."

"Hn. She didn't know her name nor did she know where she came from when she awoke. Father named her Azami and Azami she will stay."

"Of course," Kellan said sadly. It was too much to ask that the child change her name after three hundred years. "And you are?"

"Hn. I am Lord Sesshoumaru. You have invaded territory under the purview of the Western Lands and seek to take my mate away. There is little stopping me from killing you." Dagger sharp claws began to glow green.

"Keh, wait a sec, aniki. I doubt she knew nee-san was mated. I'm sure Queen Kellan has no intention of taking away a demon's bride, do you?" Inuyasha tossed the question at the royal, for once being the level-headed of the two brothers.

"Of course, if my great-grandchild is married, then she must stay with her husband." Purple eyes narrowed in sudden suspicion. "She is married, is she not? You have not dishonored her or her religion by impregnating her without the proper vows."

If either demon was surprised that she had been able to detect the pregnancy, they gave no sign of it. "Being mated is the demon version of a human marriage. If there is one, the other is not necessary."

"Absurd! You will marry her in accordance with her religion right this moment." The wind firmly in her sails again, Kellan turned to the nearest faerie and ordered that a priest be brought to them immediately. The hapless servant nodded; glad to be away from the disturbing presence of the demons.

"Ridiculous, there is no need." Sesshoumaru glowered at the queen, knowing that the interpreter was only relaying her words. The poor faerie looked ready to expire.

"Of course there is. She was raised in the mortal religion of Christianity. Do you not think that she will want a wedding based on her native culture? She is Gaelic in origin."

Since that was the very thing he had promised Azami upon their mateship, he couldn't very well naysay it now. "Hn."

Kellan smiled, having seen the light of recognition in the gold eyes. The demon lord had promised his mate that she could have a wedding when they found out where she came from. "Good, now, I will want to speak to your mother, assuming she's still alive. We have much to plan."

"Uh, no, you don't," Inuyasha interjected. It was clear as day what kind of fiasco would happen if the Fae queen talked to his stepmother.

"What are you trying to say? That your mother is not alive, or that she isn't worth talking to?"

"She's not worth the headache, trust me." The younger Taisho didn't bother to correct the belief that Hisana was his mother. The queen would find out soon enough.

"I still wish to speak to her."

"Your funeral," the half demon said.

* * *

Hours after a message had been sent to Hisana; Azami laid quiet on her futon and stared out the small window in the room. She was still apprehensive about the Fae queen but she was anxious to know what her life had been like before she had come to Japan. The sliding of a shoji directed her attention elsewhere and she called out to whomever it was.

"Rest," her mate said; still angry at Kellan for upsetting her.

"Sesshou, were they lying? Is she really my great-grandmother?"

"Yes, she is. There was no deceit in her scent. When she first called out your childhood name, there was equal parts wonder and shock in her voice. She has been looking for you for a long time."

"That's so sad, and yet…"

"You have a soft heart, koneko." Lying down beside her, he breathed in her scent. "I do not like it that you are upset."

"I know. Everything happened so fast, and now she wants us to get married in the tradition of my native country. Why couldn't she have just waited?"

"Perhaps she feels she must carry out the wishes of your parents. She said that she raised you after they died."

"Yes, I suppose…" Smelling her melancholy, the demon lord nuzzled her affectionately. He could finally tell whether or not there were two pups growing inside of her or not.

"Maybe this will cheer you. We are to have twins, koneko. A boy and a girl."

"What, really?" She turned to him, her eyes, filled with excitement. "You can tell so soon?"

"Indeed." He kept the grin off of his face when she launched herself into his arms.

"Oh, thank you for telling me!" Azami laughed, tears running down her face. "That was a lovely thing to say. I think you deserve a reward," she said, reaching out to draw his face down to hers. His blood beast rumbled in anticipation.

"As you wish, my lady."


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Several people to thank for their reviews: __**impulse960**__, __**GoldenRose88**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, and __**Esha Napoleon**__. I'm glad you like things so far. __**Taraah36**__ had a bunch of questions that I will answer in future chapters so hang on a bit for that. I use a Japanese word in here for great-grandmother via an internet translator. According to the one I used, there is more than one word meaning great-grandmother. I chose the one that looked to be the oldest. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 6_

Kirara regarded Kellan with grave suspicion still and the Fae queen tried not to let it bother her. Her interpreter had told her in an aside that the fire cat was considered an elder and respected by even the dog demons among the odd clan. She had yet to learn just how influential the Taisho clan was in this strange country and she was hesitant to make any wrong moves. Kellan figured the elder brother would still happily separate her head from her shoulders without remorse.

"Sousobo-sama."

The quiet voice was full of authority. Kellan looked up from her musings as the interpreter whispered in her ears what the word meant. "Sher—Azami," Purple eyes replications of the queen's own gazed back at her sternly.

"You have come here without warning, insisting on having your way. This is not your land, nor your people. And now you wish to meet my mother-in-law. This wedding and culture are as foreign to me as you are."

"I apologize for my abrupt entry. I did not realize you would not remember."

"Still, I have been here for three hundred years, this is my home and still would have been regardless of whether or not I remembered you." Azami sat across from her, placing her hand on Kirara's head. She spoke softly to her, and Kellan watched as the cat demon shrunk. The two-tail took up position in Azami's lap and stayed there.

"Yes, I suppose it is. The seer that found you can do nothing but trace people. There was no way I could have known whether you were happy or not."

"Seer?"

"A faerie with the gift of Sight. Not all faeries can look beyond the here and now. She can trace people if they are lost but aside from that, she is as normal as you are. Your own gift manifested when you were ten."

"How did I come to be here? Kagome has told me that the Gaelic country is half way around the world from Japan."

"You tried to use a spell that would show you your destiny. It opened a portal onto a raging sea and that was the last we saw of you. I could not duplicate it for all that I tried."

"My destiny…" Azami murmured, looking to where her mate was standing. Sesshoumaru looked back, his eyes softening that infinitesimal amount that only those he loved could see. "It seems the spell worked."

"To an extent. It was supposed to show it to you, not send you to it."

"Ah, but I was needed then, not sometime in the future. Youkai live for centuries, and I was needed to be raised alongside Sesshoumaru."

"I see."

"Where are the others that you brought with you?"

"They have returned to our land. Only Liadán remains as my interpreter."

"That is just as well." The retreat of most of the strangers would reassure her lord that Kellan didn't mean her any harm. As a sign of good will, it might have been the best gesture yet.

Kellan, frowned, worry in her eyes. "You are happy, child, are you not? Most marriages of convenience are not."

"Oh, but this is not a marriage of convenience. There is very little about our mateship that is _convenient_. Is that not so, my love?" Azami asked, feeling the dog demon come up behind her.

"Indeed. My mother, whom you insist on meeting with, will be here sometime tomorrow. Do not say that my brother did not warn you."

"You make it sound like she's trouble."

"You have no idea," Azami said, a sardonic smile gracing her lips briefly. "Anata, could you procure us something to eat? I find that I am a bit hungry now that the upset is over."

"Hn. If your stomach rejects the food, do not blame me."

"Of course not. Kirara will stay with me," she reassured, knowing he didn't want to let her out of his sight. The others had scattered to do their daily chores and he did not want to pull Inuyasha or Miroku away from their own pregnant mates to watch over Azami.

Sesshoumaru made no comment before striding away to hunt. He did not ask what she would prefer so she would have to eat what he brought her. The taiyoukai could feel Kirara's eyes on him and knew he could trust her to look out for his lady.

Kirara gazed under hooded lids at the demon lord before turning her attention to the queen. Despite her royal standing she had been awful meek. Idly she wondered who would become haughtier once Hisana arrived. The Lady Mother had a way about her that generally put everyone's backs up. It would be amusing to see if the Fae queen was no different.

"Tell me more about this land where I supposedly came from."

"You lived in the Land of the Fae beginning when you were a toddler. I raised you in the court until you disappeared." Lost in her memories, Kellan didn't notice the others gathering around to hear her tale. She explained how she had become the guardian to a mostly human child, the reluctance at first to even bother. "You were such a loving child, it was impossible to resist you for long."

The realization that she would not have remembered her parents even if she hadn't had amnesia saddened Azami. Kirara, feeling her pain, purred in an attempt to comfort her. "I see."

Seeing her great-granddaughter's distress, Kellan waved the younger faerie at her side away. "That is enough for now. I'm afraid if we continue, Liadán won't have a voice left for tomorrow. I will return to my homeland and come back in the morning. There is still much we don't know about each other." So saying, she stood and curtsied to the pack of the West. Turning her back, she was well aware of the stares she got when the portal opened.

"I still don't trust her," Inuyasha said, coming to sit next to his sister-in-law.

"It will take time. So far, she has said nothing to indicate that we cannot do so. Sesshoumaru told me on the night we became mates that it was she who helped Yuki-chan send a dream message to him. I did not remember until this afternoon." Rubbing her forehead to push back a headache, Azami patted Kirara to signal that she wished to stand. The nekomata got up, allowing Miroku to help the young mother-to-be rise.

"We need to be cautious, that is all," the monk said, looking at his friend.

"Miroku's right, Inuyasha. My instincts tell me to be wary too." Sango placed a hand on her distended womb.

"I am sorry to bring all this worry and potential danger to you, Sango."

"Think nothing of it, nee-san," Kagome said, a soft smile on her face. "We're a family and even if the faeries hadn't come to the village, we still would have helped anyway we could."

"Thank you, imouto. I think I will rest while Sesshoumaru hunts for dinner. With any luck, my stomach will continue to stay settled and I can eat a decent meal."

"You've been feeling remarkably better since Sesshoumaru told you about the twins," Inuyasha said casually. "I heard him from outside." He didn't mention what else he'd heard.

A blush stained Azami's cheeks and she swatted the back of his head. "You shouldn't listen in on private conversations."

"Keh, I didn't do it on purpose. It's not easy to tune things out sometimes when you have demon hearing, you know."

"Inuyasha!" she scolded, her face even redder.

Miroku looked between the two, his mind easily going into the gutter. "So that's the way of it," he murmured. "Some men have all the luck."

"Kagome, if you wouldn't mind." Azami dragged Miroku over to a now standing Inuyasha. Both men tensed as they began to understand her intentions.

"Inuyasha, Miroku, sit." Looking at her husband trapped under her brother, Sango snorted in disgust. Turning away, she began to walk back to her house.

"Serves you right, perverts."

Alone outside but for an amused Kirara, the two men sighed. "You had to say something."

"I was only talking about the conversation they had. Azami's the one who misunderstood my words. You're the one who got us sat."

"Well, don't you find it unfair that your brother doesn't suffer from the frequent bouts of morning sickness?"

"Yeah, but I'm not stupid enough to mention it. Besides, every pregnancy's different. I'm sure your attentions won't have the same effect on Sango all the time."

"I can't wait."

"Mew!" Kirara said, unable to hide her mirth from them any longer. She watched them lift themselves up and trudge into the house to apologize. Some days the duties of being a guardian were worth the hassle. It was always funny to watch those two get into trouble with their mates. Hopefully Sesshoumaru would prove to be as amusing one day.

_

* * *

_

A/N: I wanted to insert the meanings of a couple of names here. They're both Gaelic is origin. The first is Sheridan, which means long lived treasure, and the other is Liadán. The interpreter's name means both grey lady and grey poet. I chose that because while she's there right along with all the other characters, she doesn't actually have a part to play other than to translate.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Most of the usual gang to thank: __**Taraah36**__, __**Esha Napoleon**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, __**Puppylove7**__, __**GoldenRose88**__, and __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 7_

Relieved about not having to be on her constant guard, Kirara curled up next to the fire in Sango and Miroku's that night after dinner. Her kittens, both of her blood and not, had settled down quickly that night and were already asleep. With her excellent hearing she could tell that there had been little movement even from the room Sesshoumaru and Azami were occupying next door so the fire cat was quite happy to let the situation stand as is. Her litter was safe and that's all that matter at the moment.

She began thinking about what the Fae queen Kellan had told them that day and wondered why it had taken three hundred years for a supposed gifted group of individuals to find their long lost member. Perhaps it was because Azami had never believed herself to be anything more than a human with a certain knack for manipulating her aura and therefore had never generated the kind of energy necessary to cross dimensional boundaries.

Lifting her head when a door was pulled back, the nekomata wasn't surprised when Naoya stood in front of her. "Kirara, will you sleep with us?" The child, for all his independence preferred a motherly presence when sleeping. And as he couldn't slumber beside his parents, nor admit to his older siblings that he wanted to cuddle, the boy often turned to her when she was here.

"Mew," she agreed softly, rising from her spot and going to him. Naoya rubbed droopy eyes and snuggled back into the blankets. His brother was sprawled out, the covers half off of him and she took a minute to cover the toddler back up. The twins were dead to the world, not having sensed the demonic presence entering their midst. It would take a lot to train them to do otherwise.

"Thank you," he mumbled on a yawn and then all was silent.

If Sango was surprised to find her companion curled up next to her oldest boy, she said nothing. Smiling, the taijiya adjusted the blankets around Reiji one more time before going about her business. The kittens weaved themselves around her ankles, making the process of restarting the fire and putting something on for breakfast harder. Kirara got tired of them almost tripping the expecting mother up and scolded them loudly before indicating that they should go out and play.

"I didn't mind, Kirara," Sango reassured her partner.

"Mew!" the demon cat yelled, telling the young woman that _she_ had minded.

"All right, all right. I understand. Just as long as you do the same for any of mine. I know you like to sleep in front of the fire at night. Don't let them drag you away if you don't want to."

Eventually the two-tailed demon cat went outside to check on the other batch of kittens. It really would be easier if they lived in the same house. Maybe after she could transform into her humanoid body for more than a few moments she could persuade them of that fact. Keeping track of over a dozen people was not easy.

"Good morning, Lady Kirara," she heard from the edge of the woods. Glancing up, she found Azami coming back from the hot springs, her complexion much better than it had been yesterday morning.

"Mew?" she inquired, and received a smile in return.

"I'm much better, thank you. That spring does wonders. Have you seen Sesshoumaru this morning? He left before I got up."

The nekomata shook her head, frustrated with the demon lord. Didn't he know to stay by his mate's side until she was up for the day? What if she had needed him? Maybe the young lord needed to be sat like his brother and Miroku. "Ah, well. I suppose I'll see him at breakfast. No doubt he needed to brace himself for his mother's visit. I don't know why we just don't move out of the castle if he dislikes being near her so much. Of course, he was used to traveling all the time when he was single. And he would never admit to anyone that he couldn't stand up to her."

Kirara smiled to herself, knowing that was one of the reasons he remained at the castle. The other was for Azami's sake. Now that she was pupped, he wanted her within easy reach of the clan's best healer. Sesshoumaru wasn't about to risk her health. Another was that he wasn't about to hide her away as his father had had to do with Lady Izayoi. The Inutaisho had tried to keep her away from demons that would try to harm her but had instead put her in the path of an insanely jealous human. The demon lord was learning from his father's mistakes even as he was continuously making his own. Not that anyone was foolish enough to point them out.

"Lady Kirara, what do you think of my great-grandmother's plans?"

Kirara tilted her head, wondering which plans she was referring to. "Mew?"

"About the wedding. Can't we just have something simple? Anything more elaborate can wait, don't you think?"

Personally she didn't see the need for a wedding at all but human women were funny about these things. "Mew," she said, nodding.

"It's just too soon after meeting her. I need to get to know her, to learn to trust her. And now she wants to meet Lady Hisana. Like that's going to go over well."

She watched Azami's face pale and the new noblewoman rushed back into the tree line to lose what little remained in her stomach. _This_ was why Sesshoumaru shouldn't have left her side. Irritated at the elder Taisho brother, she waited impatiently for the young man to return. Sitting by a suddenly tired Azami, she didn't look up when Kagome came out looking for her sister-in-law.

"Nee-san? Oh, dear. Kirara, can you help me get her inside? I'll have Inuyasha go get Sesshoumaru. He really should have stayed put. What do you think, should we maneuver him into getting sat?"

Transforming, the fire cat nudged her head under Azami's left arm and helped her stand. The weakened young woman gratefully rode her to Kagome and Inuyasha's and leaned heavily on her as they went inside. Inuyasha looked up from his rice and frowned when he caught the pale complexion of his brother's mate. "Is she all right?" he asked, earning glares from all three females. "I'll go find the idiot."

"Really, a woman has morning sickness and looks a shade close to death and he has to ask if she's all right. How obvious does the answer have to be?" Kagome groused. "And where is nii-san in all of this? He shouldn't have left you."

"Sesshoumaru doesn't like it when I'm sick. The smell bothers his nose a lot. Plus, I don't think he knows quite what to do."

"I'll show him what to do." The light of battle shone in the miko's eyes and for a moment Kirara almost felt sorry for the dog demon. Almost.

"It's all right, imouto. He'll feel badly enough when he returns and finds out I wasn't as well as I thought I was. Would you mind fixing me some tea?"

"Nee-san, why aren't you taking that tea you gave Sango and me the mix for?"

"We were all out of one of the herbs at the castle. That is why Satsuki-sama had to leave. This is the last time before winter sets in that we'll be able to harvest it. She went to get as many plants as she could."

"Ah, the timing sucks for you to travel. Maybe you should have stayed home."

"Maybe, but I have a feeling Sesshoumaru would have killed Queen Kellan if I had. And then where would I be? I still want answers."

"Of course. He was awfully angry, wasn't he?"

"Yes, just about any time he transforms, he's really mad."

"Dog demons can be so predictable."

"Mew!" Kirara agreed, happy to see color come back into Azami's face as she laughed.

"Yes, they can."

* * *

Hisana arrived midday in a flurry of fur pelts and kimonos. She made herself at home, waiting for someone to tell her about the recent developments and just why Azami's great-grandmother wanted to meet with her. "Not much point in a wedding at the moment," she said, enjoying the tea she was given. Reiji was once again monopolizing her lap.

"We know, Hisana-okaasama." Azami laid her head on Sesshoumaru's shoulder. It served two purposes. She drew comfort from his closeness and it prevented him from leaving the room.

"Well, if it is your family's custom, it would dishonor their memory to do otherwise. Perhaps a simple, small ceremony to compromise would be best. Something more elaborate could be done later, say, a couple of centuries from now."

The inutachi gazed at the logical, sane proposition in shock. Since when had the Lady Mother been not only logical, but sane? "That sounds like a good idea, Stepmother," Inuyasha agreed tentatively all the while wondering where the catch was.

"I shall explain things to this _queen_."

The group gathered sighed in relief as one. _That _was the arrogant and not-quite-right demoness they knew. "As you wish, Mother." Sesshoumaru felt his lips twitch in slight amusement and hurriedly straightened them. It would be most entertaining to see what happened between the faerie queen and his mother.

Kirara was sitting facing the door when a knock herald the arrival of Kellan and her interpreter. She felt bad for young Liadán because she was going to be in the cross hairs of a battle of wills if she was reading Hisana's mood right. Kagome was the one who answered the summons, smiling in welcome at the two faeries. The miko offered tea to them both and was rewarded with a smile from the younger of the two.

After introductions were made, something that had been uncharacteristically ignored the day before, Kellan faced the unknown demoness in the corner. She was given a regal smile but no bow.

"Great-Grandmother, this is Lady Hisana Taisho, my mother-in-law."

"It's an honor to meet you, Lady Taisho. It seems I have you to thank for taking care of my beloved great-grandchild."

"She couldn't have been loved very much. You lost her for three centuries." The interpreter cringed when she relayed the message. Kellan's eyes narrowed in anger.

"And it seems you did not do a very good job either."

Kirara settled down to enjoy the battle, wondering if there would be blood shed while her kittens wanted to be anywhere but in the same room with the two women. Soon enough they began making excuses to be elsewhere and the elder sighed. They really didn't know the entertainment value of what they were about to miss.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Quite a few to thank for reviews of the last chapter: __**Taraah36**__, __**Puppylove7**__, __**GoldenRose88**__, __**Esha Napoleon**__, __**Victoria Pendragon**__, __**AuthorOfHope**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**impulse960**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, and __**ScarletCamellia**__. The long awaited chapter of the "talk" between Kellan and Hisana is here. Plus, a little treat for you at the end._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 8_

While the living area in Kagome and Inuyasha's had been cleared except for the two faeries, Kirara and Hisana, the two principles in the meeting stared at each other silently. They assessed each other's strength before continuing their verbal sparring. Each had already thrown the proverbial first punch in their barbs about caring for Azami.

Kirara watched the two, relishing the chance to see someone other than herself put the dog demoness in her place while at the same time wanting someone to show Kellan that she couldn't just come and do whatever she wanted either. The nekomata was of two minds about the confrontation but no matter who won, it was sure to be entertaining for the fire cat.

"Does the demon cat remain as a chaperone? Does the elder think that I will harm you?"

"Lady Kirara does not care one way or the other about my safety. It is the pups she is looking out for. Your arrival here threatens them and that she does not like. I would be cautious in my dealings with her. She may not look it but the nekomata is a fierce rival and a dangerous opponent if pressed." Hisana's lips curved mockingly. "I am too for that matter. As the elder Lady of the Western Lands, I also have the right to look out for my son's extended pack. You would be wise not to cross either of us."

"I mean them no harm. Azami is of my blood and therefore a royal in the Fae court. They have nothing to fear from me." Kellan sat straight up, not looking away from the female demon. She did not trust her. There was something about the other woman that said she liked to play games with people.

"So that is the way of it. You wish to take Azami away from her mate."

"No, she is with child and needs to remain here with him. There will however be a wedding in her parents' tradition. That is an issue that I will not budge on."

"I agree; it has always been her wish to be married in the tradition of her people. However, she is already mated and pupped. A large wedding will have to wait a couple more centuries when such an event is necessary. She wants only a small ceremony now. That, _I_ will not budge on." Hisana lifted the tea cup to her lips, watching the other woman's reaction.

"A simple ceremony it is. The Gaelic people have many traditions when it comes to couples marrying. I will send one of my people to the priest we have found and find out the procedures. It will be a simple thing which I will take care of the preparations for. You need not concern yourself."

"Do I not? This is my son's first wedding after all."

"It had best be his last as well."

"His last mateship. Human weddings are going to have to be repeated throughout the centuries to hide the fact that he is not human and the others in his pack are not normal. I am sure Azami will explain the details to you someday. When she feels you can be trusted." Gold eyes flashed with cold satisfaction as the dig hit home. It was a sore spot for Kellan that her great-granddaughter did not trust her yet.

"I look forward to it. Fae marriages are also forever. A fact that she will come to understand as well."

"Surely you do not mean to put her through one of those as well. If you have not noticed, she is not feeling her best at the moment. I'm afraid my newest grandchildren are giving her a rough time of it."

Kirara rumbled, enjoying the subtle challenges that were flying through the air. Things were getting good. She turned her head to see Kellan's reaction and noticed the darkening of the queen's aura. The faerie's anger was becoming tangible but Hisana didn't seem to be bothered by the show of aggression.

"Certainly not. She is not required to have a Fae binding. Everything will be as she wishes it." Kellan was rather proud of herself. So far she had managed not to slap the smirk off of Hisana's face.

"Oh, good. She was worried, you understand. Azami so hates to disappoint her family."

"I will tell her there is no need. Unlike some, she does not need to fear disappointing me. I will never turn her away for being mostly human."

Hisana narrowed her eyes. "You dare much," she said angrily. It was a phrase her son had picked up from her as a child.

"Was I mistaken? Did you not treat her as a toy or pet when she was young? I would not want to insult where there is no need."

Kirara sat up, feeling that blood shed was not far away. Perhaps she had better convince them to take the argument outside. Kagome would not be a happy miko if her place was trashed by two enraged supernatural beings. There was no telling the damage that could result in the different energies clashing. Glancing out of the corner of her eye at Liadán, she saw that the younger faerie was turning green. "Mew!" she reprimanded, bringing Kellan's attention to the problem. Apparently the young woman did not handle large amounts of negative energy well and there was no shortage of that at the moment.

Hisana also noticed the interpreter's condition and felt sorry for her. "This can wait until you have no need of someone to interpret my words for you. Then you can be assured that you understand everything." With as much regal dignity as she had ever shown, the dog demoness left the Fae queen without excusing herself, making it clear that she didn't see them as equals.

"Come Liadán, let's get you back home. I did not realize you were being affected so."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The interpreter looked at Kirara gratefully and nodded her thanks. The nekomata mewed to show she understood and went outside with them. She watched from the doorway as Kellan bid goodbye to Azami and the others before leaving this realm. While she was disappointed that there hadn't been an actual fight, she was happy that the queen had been more concerned about her assistant's welfare than taking pot shots, verbal or otherwise, at Hisana. Not that the demoness didn't deserve them.

Turning her attention to the assembled crowd, she became aware of a storm of a whole other kind brewing. Sesshoumaru was looking distinctly uncomfortable with whatever Kagome was saying and Sango seemed to be chiming in with her opinion, making the demon lord even more wary. Padding over, she listened without much interest until it was mentioned just what had set off the priestess in the first place.

"You should have stayed with her until she woke up, nii-san. I'm sure she wanted you to be with her when she did." Sesshoumaru had left Azami before she woke? That wasn't like the demon lord.

"Hn. I was not far." Sesshoumaru placed an arm at his mate's waist. "You could have called for me at any point."

"You do not like it when I am sick. I wished to spare you the assault on your nose." Azami frowned, not wishing to make a big deal out of what had happened that morning.

The taiyoukai stared down at her, sensing the disappointment in her scent. "I will stay next time. I do not like it when you are ill but that is not because of my nose. You are my beloved mate and it pains me to see you unwell." Sighs of appreciation went around the gathered circle and Inuyasha and Miroku glared daggers at the demon lord's back. Since when was he the romantic?

Then, to their amazement he did something in true Taisho style—he promptly screwed up royally by saying, "I am sure that once your body gets used to carrying my heir, you will not be sick any longer."

Kirara shook her head at his stupidity. Azami's body was already used to carrying the twins yet he made it sound like she had a choice in the matter. The nekomata backed up, sensing the rage building in the three expecting mothers. Hisana didn't look pleased with her son either. The children were heading for the hills and Inuyasha and Miroku were stepping away from Sesshoumaru to show that they in no way agreed with his statement. It was probably one of the best ideas that they'd ever had.

Azami felt her aura swirl around her and she narrowed her eyes in anger. Pointing to her mate, she unconsciously tapped into her Fae powers when she yelled, "_Racham air toabh_!" The mighty dog demon lord let out a surprised yelp when he crashed into the ground in a position Inuyasha often got into when Kagome sat him.

"Keh, at least now we know he's not perfect."

_

* * *

_

_A/N: This is an edited version of chapter eight. Originally I had the Irish for "to heel" until one of my regular reviewers kindly and thankfully sent me three phrases in Gaelic to give me the correct language. Along with the phrase Azami uses, there is also the words "daimhfam" and "rincam." Thank you, **blackdame**._


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Ten to thank for the last chapter: __**GoldrenRose88**__, __**AuthorOfHope**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**EshaNapoleon**__, __**blackdame**__, __**impulse960**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Victoria Pendragon**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, and __**Puppylove7**__. And thanks to anyone who added this or its author to their lists since I last updated. I need add a special thanks to __**blackdame**__ for finding the Gaelic for "__**to heel**__." I really appreciated the help. If you got it from some website, would you please let me know? And I apologize for it taking so long for this to come out, I think my muse or my brain heard that it was Labor Day tomorrow and took a mini-vacation._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 9_

Azami stared in horror at her mate on the ground before bursting into tears and running inside. The others gazed after her, some in sympathy and others in bewilderment before turning back to Sesshoumaru. "Geez, nii-san, I don't know whether to feel sorry for you or to be envious that nee-san doesn't have to use a rosary." Kagome shook her head, pretending confusion. The truth was that she felt sorry for them both. Azami's emotions seemed to be all over the map.

"Hn. How long does this spell last?" he demanded of his brother.

"Long enough for humiliation to set in," Inuyasha said cheerfully. "You really stuck your foot into it this time. Don't you know a woman can't control whether she gets sick or not? And it doesn't matter how far along she is either. Azami could get sick every day for the rest of her pregnancy."

Sesshoumaru said a few choice words under his breath before he felt the spell give way. Standing, he glared briefly at the others and then turned and went to comfort Azami. While she didn't remember her childhood any more now than she did before they mated, phrases in her old language did seem to be coming to her in odd moments. He would have to ask her if she recalled what the command meant in Gaelic. Then again, finding out might just make his embarrassment worse.

While the taiyoukai left to sooth his mate, Kirara pondered the almost-fight between Kellan and Hisana. She would have loved to have seen an all-out battle but figured that there would have been too much damage to the surrounding area. The nekomata had a feeling the fight would not have been contained to a small space. She was also aware that there would be a physical altercation sometime in the future between the two matriarchs. They were too strong willed for it to be otherwise. Perhaps she should start looking for a wide open field a great distance from any village or settlement. The fire cat wandered away from the young adults discussing Azami's new found power and called her kittens to her to practice. Somehow she had a feeling there wouldn't be a lot of time in the coming days to teach her children very much.

* * *

Sesshoumaru gazed at his mate as she sniffled, mentally wishing to be anywhere but near an emotionally unstable woman who had power. He'd just seen for himself what she could do unconsciously; he really didn't want to find out the hard way what she could accomplish if she was aware of her Fae powers. Kellan had talked about _gifts_ as opposed to powers so he wondered if a faerie's _gift_ was unique to the individual and powers more common place.

"Azami," the demon lord said, waiting for her to look at him.

"I didn't mean to, Sesshoumaru. It just slipped out."

"And you don't know what the phrase means?"

"Not really, just that it's somewhat similar to what Inuyasha's rosary reacts to. I was thinking that I wish you'd get a taste of that punishment for once. I'm sorry." Tears pooled in her eyes again.

Reaching out, he caught a stray water drop as it made its way down her cheek. "You will cease crying," he ordered gently. It pained him to see her so upset. This was not like her at all.

"I don't mean to cry," she said in a whisper.

"Hn, the next time Kellan visits, I will ask her to unlock your memories, if she is able to do so. Maybe that is what's causing this unbalance. Your moods seem to have gotten more unstable since her arrival. And your subconscious has manipulated whatever powers you got from the Fae."

"All right," Azami agreed easily, wanting her normal equilibrium to return swiftly. It was starting to annoy her that she couldn't pass a day without weeping. She knew that for some women it was normal when pregnant but she wasn't entirely human so Azami didn't think her pregnancy would be normal either. Especially since the father of her twins was a taiyoukai.

"Hn, if that is all, I believe I shall go beat my brother into the ground."

"Why? Surely you and he are better terms than that."

"He laughed at me."

"Ah. Well, maybe I can sooth your wounded pride." The Lady of the West reached out to kiss her husband. Only to turn green and head for the bucket.

"Hn. It is better that you rest," he said, his ego having taken a serious blow. Hopefully Inuyasha hadn't been able to hear their conversation clearly.

When he left the house and saw Miroku and his brother laughing hysterically he knew the hope went unanswered. "Inuyasha!" he roared and the women watched as one sibling attacked another.

"I love my husband, but I will never understand his sense of humor," Kagome sighed, watching the two clash swords while the half demon continued to laugh.

"Neither will I, Kagome," Sango seconded.

"Hmm, I do believe it has something to do with the fact that Azami tried to kiss Sesshoumaru and had a case of morning sickness instead. That is when their laughter began."

"Idiots," Shippou said from his perch on Hisana's shoulder. The other children ignored their parents' odd behavior. They had learned long ago that it didn't do anything for their sanity to try to figure them out.

"Now, Shippou, one cannot fault a man for being embarrassed about that. It is something you'll understand when you're older. In the meantime, it is most amusing to watch their reactions." Hisana's lips tilted as Sesshoumaru took a jab at Miroku with his poison claw attack. The monk had still been chuckling. Acid made sizzling impressions in the ground near the well.

"Hey! You better leave that alone. I don't want to see one melted plank! Do you hear me, nii-san?" Kagome shouted. She cringed when the old portal became in jeopardy of being demolished. It might not work anymore as a path to the future but it was still a beloved reminder of what she had waiting for her in the twenty-first century. If they destroyed it, there would be hell to pay.

The demon lord ignored his sister-in-law in favor of pushing his brother to the edge of the clearing. Unfortunately, it was right into the path of a certain nekomata. Kirara growled, her transformed body blocking her kittens from getting injured in the fray. Stepping in between the two dog demons, she roared and took a swipe at both with her giant claws. It had been amusing at first to watch Sesshoumaru try to regain his dignity by challenging his brother but putting her kittens in harm's way was another matter entirely.

Startled, both Taisho brothers stopped to stare at the irate fire cat. Seeing that they were going to settle down, she snorted, reprimanding them with her eyes. Turning, she included Miroku in her silent lecture and the women were amazed when all three mumbled, "Sorry, Kirara."

And thus ended the fight.


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: A list of people to thank. __**Esha Napoleon**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, __**impulse960**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**blackdame**__, __**Puppylove7**__, __**GoldrenRose88**__, and __**ScarletCamellia**__, the reviews are always appreciated. And thank you, __**blackdame**__, for the website. Can't believe I didn't come across the books before in my search._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 10_

Thoroughly chastised by Kirara, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Sesshoumaru stayed out of the nekomata's way for the rest of the day. If they happened to meet her eye, she'd hiss and they'd bow their heads in supplication. The women thought this was hilarious and teased their spouses mercilessly until dinner time. Azami had heard the commotion made by the fight earlier and was not pleased that her husband had been in the middle of the ruckus. She understood the two other men being the cause, but she'd thought her demon lord had more sense. Obviously went it came to his brother, the taiyoukai still had a short fuse.

Kirara remained angry at the culprits until the next morning although she was pleased to see that they no longer doubted who was in charge of their little family. She was actually quite pleased with herself that she could make a grown dog demon lord cringe at the very sight of her narrowed ruby eyes. They even remained respectful of her authority when Kellan reappeared. The young faerie with her looked in better health and the fire cat put herself once more in between Kellan and Hisana to prevent bloodshed. Not that she would have minded the carnage but she was an elder, and as such it was her duty to maintain peace. At least for the moment. She was still thinking about where she could take the two so that they could release the building hostility and no one would get hurt.

When Sesshoumaru approached Kellan about the incident of Azami's Fae powers and their result, the fire cat listened attentively. The Fae queen frowned and nodded when it was requested that she unlock the hidden memories, if it was possible. Getting up, Kirara positioned herself closer to the young Lady of the West; wanting to be there should she need help.

"Are you ready, Azami?" Kellan asked, still unused to calling her great-granddaughter by the foreign name.

"Yes, Sousobo-sama." Azami held her mate's clawed hand tightly, and petted Kirara briefly on the head with the other. She received a purr in acknowledgement and took it as encouragement as well. The elder demoness would support her without doubt.

"I cannot promise that this will work. It could be that Destiny had decided to wipe your memory clean of all the memories of your life as a Fae."

"I understand." Azami smiled reassuringly at the gathered crowd and waited for Kellan to begin trying anything that would help her from accidently harming Sesshoumaru or the others in the future. Forcing her mate into the ground might not have hurt anything but his pride, but she didn't want to take the chance that something of that nature would happen again with disastrous results.

"Proceed," Sesshoumaru ordered, well aware of his mate's feelings. He also wanted to maintain the good mood she was currently in. The demon lord was content that no tears had yet fallen that morning and he wanted to keep it that way.

"Patience, young lord," Kellan returned, not liking his attitude. He was worried about Azami but that didn't give him the right to be rude. Had she known him better, she wouldn't have let it bother her. He was naturally anti-social to just about everyone. "Let us begin," she said now and called forth her powers.

Light surrounded the two and the inutachi listened as words from Kellan's native tongue flowed over them. "_Air chall tu cuimhne. Bithidh agad cuimhne._" When it was over, Azami gazed at her great-grandmother and smiled sadly.

"_Tha cuimhne agam_." Turning to her mate, she held out the hand that wasn't already clutching his. "I am sorry for making you heel before."

"Is that what you told him to do?" Kellan asked; her lips quirking at the edges. "How fitting for a dog demon."

"Hn, it is over, do not think on it again." Sesshoumaru ignored his in-law and helped Azami to stand. She was rubbing her forehead; no doubt it was beginning to ache because of all the old memories starting to resurface.

"All right. I am going to lie down for a while," she started to say when the sight of a few familiar people caught her eye. "Rin, Kohaku?" A smile bloomed on her face, all thoughts of the pain in her head gone.

"Okaa-sama, we came as soon as we heard rumors. Are you all right?" The young woman came forward, embracing her adoptive parents eagerly. Rin turned towards the Fae, questions in her eyes.

Kellan studied the teen, frowning. Azami had been alive long enough to have had a child this age but there was no indication that the young woman had any demon blood in her. "Azami," she said sharply, wanting answers.

"Oh, forgive me. Rin, this is my great-grandmother Kellan and her interpreter Liadán. Ladies, this is my adopted daughter Rin. Sesshoumaru rescued her during the war with Naraku. She was but a child then."

"So she is not…"

"No, though I wish it was so. She and Kohaku married but a couple of months ago. What are you doing here, children? I thought you would be settling into your new home."

"We were but then Myoga-jijii came and said that someone was looking for you who didn't come from this country so we thought you might be in trouble."

"Myoga, huh? I wondered why I hadn't had my blood sucked by that flea in a while. Must be he was roaming Japan looking for other meals." Inuyasha studied the younger couple and found both in good spirits. Obviously Rin was a healthy influence on Kohaku. The young taijiya didn't seem to be as serious as before.

"Well, Oji-san, he said that he's been at the castle and he heard from Shoga-babaa who'd heard from Obaa-sama…" Rin let the rest of the sentence trail, figuring he'd get the picture.

"Ah…"

Kellan exchanged looks with Liadán, feeling that there was some sort of private joke being referred to that she wasn't aware of. The younger faerie merely shook her head, not understanding the situation either. "Anyway," Rin continued, turning to look at the queen. "If you're Okaa-sama's great-grandmother, than you must be my great-great-grandmother. It's nice to meet you. Okaa-sama's always been sad that she couldn't remember anyone from her homeland. But if you're her ancestor, you can't be human and still be alive. Are you a youkai?"

"No," Kellan said, amused with the girl's forthrightness. "I am Fae."

Rin listened to the interpreter and smiled. "I see. Do you have powers?"

"Many," Kellan said, watching Hisana's reaction to the news. She wasn't afraid to face the demoness if need be.

"Oh, dear. I hope Obaa-sama hasn't been difficult. She doesn't always get along well with others."

"Rin!" the dog demoness scolded while the others laughed. Kaede, who had been silent until then chuckled with everyone else. There was no denying the truth of that statement.

"I'm sorry, Obaa-sama, but you know it's the truth."

"Enough, koinu, you will respect your elders."

Rin tilted her head, mischief in her eyes. "I do respect you."

Hisana narrowed her eyes at the young woman before turning to her smirking son. "She's your daughter, you deal with her." And that was the last she said before sailing off into the house.

"Papa, did I say something wrong?"

"No, my dear. I do believe someone has finally gotten the best of her." Azami hugged Rin to her again and smiled at Kellan. "Isn't she delightful? I hope my twins are going to be just like her."

"Twins? You're going to have twins, Okaa-sama?" Rin clapped her hands and giggled. "I will teach them everything I know."

Inuyasha and Miroku grinned, watching the demon lord pinch his nose in a bid for patience. "Won't that be fun?" Inuyasha asked, earning a low snarl in reply.

"I'm sure Rin can teach the soon-to-be Yuki-chan and her twin all kinds of useful things," Miroku added. Sesshoumaru took a threatening step towards the monk.

Kirara growled under her breath in warning and the men refrained from commenting or acting out further. If this was what the next several centuries were going to be like, she was going to need a lot of patience.

And frequent naps.

_

* * *

_

A/N: The Gaelic found here is a compilation of words taken from three different dictionaries. I sincerely doubt except for the one phrase that they are the correct translations for what I wanted but I put the words together using my best guess. Loosely they mean: You have lost your memory; You shall have your memory; I remember.

_**The Gaelic-English Dictionary**_ by Colin C. D. Mark, Psychology Press, 2003  
_**Gaelic-English/English-Gaelic Dictionary**_ by Dougal Buchanan, Hippcrene Books, 1999  
_**A Pronouncing Gaelic Dictionary **_by Neil MacAlpine, Stirling & Kenney, 1833


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: People to thank; __**Esha Napoleon**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**blackdame**__, __**Puppylove7**__, __**ScarletCamellia**__, and "__**Larissa**__." You're probably all wondering where this chapter, and its author have been. I've never gone this long without updating. Well, until now, inspiration hasn't hit and it's still a bit sketchy. I apologize in advance if this chapter sounds a bit forced._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 11_

Only two months may have gone by since they last saw Rin and Kohaku but the separation from their extended family had wrought significant changes in the newlyweds. They were more at ease in each other's company and there was none of the shyness new brides had when faced with their husbands' teasing. Perhaps that was because Kohaku had never been one to joke around a lot but as Kirara watched the young couple, she didn't think so. Like the other pairs she had had a hand, or rather a paw, in bringing together, these two were simply meant to be together.

All thoughts of Azami's headache had disappeared and despite the fact that her mind must be teaming with memories of a completely different and foreign life, the new Lady of the Western Lands had thrown herself whole heartedly into visiting with the fresh arrivals. Kirara sat off to the side with her kittens as the four women talked like hens, barely stopping for breath. The men had gathered in a different area, the older ones listening with grave attention about how the rebuilding of the slayers' village was going. They nodded and offered suggestions while asking how the exterminating business was.

Content for the moment, she wandered into Kagome and Inuyasha's, joining Hisana in resting away from the younger members of the pack. Her litter was dear to her heart but sometimes she just needed to be quiet and as by herself as she could be. The elder youkai noblewoman was sipping tea that had been left out and gazing off into the distance. The nekomata was hesitant to even wonder what was going through the demoness' head.

"A bit much at times, aren't they?"

"Mew."

"I suppose I should go out and make amends with Rin-chan. She was only speaking true and meant no insult. I forget sometimes that she never says anything she doesn't mean and has no wish or talent for innuendos. I hope that she is as refreshingly honest in a century as she is at this moment. Do you think that they will all make it without changing who they are?"

"Mew!" Kirara declared, daring Hisana to disagree.

"I hope you're right. But then, you have always had the faith that everything would turn out the way it was meant to. And you weren't above meddling when it called for it, were you? I suppose I will have to put up with you until the day I die, won't I, Lady Kirara?"

The fire cat grinned as best she could and answered with a purr. "That's what I thought," Hisana sighed and got up to leave the house. She didn't feel like putting forth the effort to get along with the nekomata at the moment.

Kirara watched her go, glad to have the place to herself. She could have gone to Sango and Miroku's but she figured the group would be going there soon to eat and she didn't really want to be in the middle of the chaos that was sure to follow with the whole group in one room. The kittens could fend for themselves for one afternoon.

She needed a nap.

* * *

Sango and the other two expecting mothers prepared the meal, thankful that at least with the arrival of Rin and Kohaku, the two faeries had decided to leave for the rest of the day. Kaede had waved off the invitation to lunch, declaring that she had duties to attend to that couldn't wait the two or more hour event eating with the inutachi always became. That still left a large number of people to feed and with the appetites of several men and two pregnant women that took a lot of food. The only person not interested in the midday repast was Azami and that was because she had finally succumbed to fatigue and was merely going through the motions while helping to prepare.

"Nee-san, why don't you go lay down? We can handle things here."

"Absolutely not. Since it's my mate that is picky about what he eats, I'll prepare his meal. You two become green at the mere mention of his diet." Azami swallowed hard, trying not to look at what she was seasoning with herbs.

Kagome and Sango exchanged glances and shook their heads at the other woman. "But nee-san," the miko began. "You're already green. Actually, more like olive green if you want to know the truth."

Azami's complexion had taken on an odd shade of green. Sango worried about the Lady of the West as it was her first pregnancy. "Maybe I should get Sesshoumaru to take you to your room."

"I'm fine," Azami insisted stubbornly and continued to put together the demon lord's lunch. "Is the rice done yet?"

"Yes," Kagome said, wondering how her brother-in-law would react if he found his mate passed out due to nausea. Deciding that it wouldn't be a pretty picturing, she put some rice in the bowl and moved her sister by mateship out of the way with her heavier bulk. Being several months pregnant did have its advantages on occasion. "Rin-chan!" she called, only having to wait a few moments for the young woman to join them.

"Oba-san? Okaa-sama, you're looking very green right now."

"Thank you," Azami said wryly, breathing through her mouth.

"Rin, please finish braising the deer meat for your father. Azami isn't feeling well enough to do it."

"I can't blame her," Rin said, wrinkling her nose at the raw meat that was just starting to sizzle. "Papa sure has an odd diet." The teen waved her adoptive mother away, making Azami sit down away from the heat of the stove. Rin finished the braising, trying not to grimace as the bloody meat drizzled onto the rice. She took it outside to Sesshoumaru who frowned when he saw that it was his daughter, not his mate who was bringing him the meal.

"Rin," he said and had no need to explain himself further.

"Okaa-sama's stomach wasn't feeling up to dealing with your meat, Papa. You should try eating something cooked for once. It would make things so much easier."

Inuyasha hid his smirk, watching as Sesshoumaru experienced her cheekiness for once. She had always been unfailing polite to her guardian. Now that he had openly adopted her, there was no longer any fear that he would get mad at her for picking on his occasionally odd seeming habits.

"A full demon does not require his meat to be cooked."

"But Okaa-sama wouldn't have to look at bloody meat all the time if you would let her cook it while she's with child. Papa, her face was this really weird green." The demon lord frowned, not liking the lecture he was receiving from his daughter. Becoming a wife had given her the freedom to scold at will and she was taking the chance to turn the full effect on her adoptive father.

"She does not have to cook when we are home. I shall go inform her that she is to leave the rest of the meals to the other women while we are here." Sesshoumaru stood, leaving his bowl of rice and braised meat on the low table. Several eyes watched the bloody juices soak into the white rice.

"Can't say I blame Azami-obasan for not wanting to look at that for any length of time," Shippou comment. His mouth contorted with disgust. "How does he stand it? I'm a full demon and I have no desire to eat raw meat."

"Keh, you're not on the same level as he. If your strength ever matches that of a fox taiyoukai, you too will have to eat raw meat sometimes. It is a youkai necessity." Inuyasha moved the bowl out of the reach of one of the children.

Sesshoumaru ignored the conversation as he went in search of his mate. She sat against one wall, her face still slightly green. "Hn, so you did become ill. You should not have bothered fixing me something. I do not require food every day."

"Eh, nii-san, I wouldn't…" Kagome started to warn the demon lord about the way his words sounded but was too late when she heard Azami sniffle. Sesshoumaru gave a tiny sound of surprise when he caught the scent of tears.

"I just wanted to…"

Sighing, Sesshoumaru knelt in front of her and lifted her face to meet his. "I would go without far longer if necessary if it would mean you do not have to become ill. Come, rest and we will talk later about what I can do to make this pregnancy better for you." He wiped her tears away and led her out of the room.

"He continues to surprise me," Kagome said, smiling.

"It's more like he knows just what will make her stop crying. He's had over three hundred years to learn what she likes, remember. I think he doesn't want to be 'sat' or whatever the command meant that she used to force him to the ground. His pride and ego are at stake."

"True," the priestess answered and went back to portioning out the rest of the family's lunch.

Azami remained quiet, sipping tea and taking the occasional bite of rice while the others consumed their lunch hungrily. Sesshoumaru kept an eye on her while eating his meal and only spoke when addressed to first. "Ano, Papa…" Rin started, wanting her father's attention.

"Hn."

"We have something to share," Kohaku continued and watched as several pairs of feminine eyes zeroed in on them immediately. "Some news actually," he went on and the gazes of the women grew in intensity. Maybe he should have phased things differently.

"You're going to have a baby too, aren't you?"

At Azami's words, pandemonium broke out.


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Some people to thank for their reviews: __**Esha Napoleon**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, __**impulse960**__, __**Puppylove7**__, __**ScarletCamellia**__, and __**Victoria Pendragon**__. Some seem to think that Rin is pregnant already. Well, I guess you'll just have to read to find out. I can be just a little evil at times with my cliff hangers._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 12_

Voices ricocheted around the room, each person clamoring to be heard. Azami's question had sparked more and there was a great deal of confusion. Neither dog demon had smelled the change in Rin's scent that herald a pregnancy and they were beginning to wonder if they had been tricked on purpose.

Rin glared at her husband as her father and uncle's eyes became tinted red and they studied the young woman closely. "You _idiot_! Now they think we've been hiding my scent from them!" Rin turned to her father and uncle. All around her and Kohaku others were eager to find out if Azami had guessed right or if their news was something else. Hisana sat back, enjoying the commotion and already knowing the answer. The children all begged to be the ones to name the baby. Annoyed, Rin took a deep breath and spoke in a loud voice. "Papa, Uncle, no, I'm not going to have a baby." Her words took a minute to get through to the dog demons as the noise level was high but eventually the news made it around the room and everyone settled down.

"Explain then," Sesshoumaru demanded, feeling an odd sense of relief. He hadn't really wanted to have both his daughter and his mate pupped at the same time.

"We've given shelter to a group of half demons. _That_ was our news. I think you remember the kids from Horai Island, right?"

"Yes! Is everyone all right?" Kagome asked anxiously.

"Ah-Un found the children near our village and brought them home one day. The boys had been beaten up a bit and the little girl was crying. The twins keep making noises about leaving but they haven't shown any inclination as yet." Kohaku slumped backwards in relief. He should have let Rin tell them to begin with. For a minute he thought both the demon lord and his brother were going to rip him to shreds.

"I see; those boys were always ready for a fight." Sango smiled, remembering their attitude. It kind of reminded her of another half demon they knew and loved. Kagome's giggle next to her said she'd been thinking the same thing.

"How good of you, Rin. We will extend our protection to them. Those poor children have suffered enough." Azami felt Sesshoumaru groan beside her. She tossed him a winning smile before going back to her discussion with Rin.

"Thank you, Okaa-sama. I know Papa helped Inuyasha-oji rescue them to begin with but they do need a little help. They're all so convinced they can make it by themselves but they're still so young."

"Not really, Rin," Inuyasha corrected. "They've been alive for a long time. Several centuries at least and they've had to suffer terrible injustices because of the 'Four War Gods.' They have plenty of experience in surviving. But nee-san is right, they shouldn't have to struggle or just 'survive.' They deserve a chance at really living."

"Indeed," Miroku began. "You've done a great thing in taking them into the village."

"Oji-sans…" Rin moved forward to hug both men and they shared a wry look as the breath was squeezed out of them by her enthusiasm. "Thank you."

Kohaku sighed in relief, glad the silent death threats from the two inu brothers had stopped coming his way. It was the same reaction they'd had before he'd married Rin and he wondered if it was an instinctual thing that they just didn't want to think about the young females in their pack becoming pregnant. He shuddered to think what would happen when he and Rin _were_ going to have a child. Maybe he would send word via Myoga and let the flea take the brunt of their anger before Kagome and Azami calmed them down.

"You're going to have a tough time telling Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru when it really does happen, aren't you?" his sister asked, a knowing smile on her face.

"Yes, aneue."

"Don't worry, they're just being overprotective. Dog demon males are like that," Kagome added. "You'll notice Miroku was the only father not freaking out."

"Aniki's a pervert, that's why. His mind probably went straight into a ditch when everyone mistook my words. I bet he won't be so easy going when the girls are ready to get married."

Sango watched her husband flinch at her brother's words and she laughed with Kagome when the other two fathers followed suit. "Hmm, yes, that will be the reaction, won't it?"

"Already they're making denials. Inuyasha panics daily about having a little girl." Kagome giggled when her hanyou sputtered and stood up to glare down at his two sons.

"Oi, runts, which one of you spilled the beans?"

Shippou scrambled so that he was on Kagome's shoulder and stuck his tongue out at the half demon. "It was you, baka! You were muttering in your sleep the other day."

Azami watched the embarrassment color Inuyasha's cheeks and couldn't hold back the laughter. Everyone joined in eventually and the rest of the afternoon passed in lively conversation and what amounted to peace for the Pack of the Western Lands.

* * *

Kirara yawned and rose, stretching after her long nap. Dusk was settling over the village when she made her way outside. The others had gathered to make their way to either home or various places around to gather food for dinner. Her kittens flocked around her, mewing excitedly and telling her all that had gone on while she was away. The nekomata was relieved the children from the legendary island had found a safe place to live but let out a sigh when she learned that Azami had declared them under the protection of the Western Lands. That just meant more work for her because anyone under Sesshoumaru's protection was effectively under hers as well.

Cats had a well-deserved reputation for having a large number of children but this pack seemed to be going out of their way to add large numbers all at once to their clan. Whether official members, family members of connected packs or just orphaned children under their protection, Kirara was being to believe that there wouldn't be a clan larger than the West when all was said and done. At this rate, she was going to have to have a meeting with Satsuki-sama and Hano-sama about looking after these kittens. They were beginning to be too spread out and large in number for her to handle all at once.

Hisana was the first to approach her and she smirked down at the fire cat as the two-tail shook her head in aggravation. "What's the matter, elder, are you getting too old for this sort of thing? I thought cats were supposed to be able to rest up in a short period of time."

Kirara glared, not deigning to answer. To get into an argument with the demoness would be pointless at the moment. Instead she turned up her nose at the dog demon and walked away. Hisana muttered under her breath but didn't try to start a fight again.

"There you are, Kirara, I was getting worried. Did you enjoy your nap? You've been working awfully hard for us lately. We greatly appreciate it." Sango smiled at her partner, hugging the fire cat to her when she leapt into the slayer's arms.

"Mew!" Kirara purred briefly, nuzzling the young woman. Turning so that she faced the crowd, she let satisfaction fill her eyes. This group was truly a bothersome litter but they were perhaps her greatest joy. They had come into this world with great burdens already on their tiny shoulders and were just now learning to flourish. She hoped that there would many more such milestones in their future.


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: I think these are the people to thank for the last chapter. For some reason FF is having problems. Anyway, in no particular order, __**Victoria Pendragon**__, __**GoldenRose88**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**impulse960**__, __**Esha Napoleon**__, __**Puppylove7**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, __**Taraah36**__, and __**butterfly here i come**__. Some may have added this along the way to their lists but I hesitate to try to check it because of the errors cropping up everywhere. Thank you if you have. Anyway, someone requested fluff for their birthday and I have added some flavored with humor. Happy Belated Birthday __**Victoria Pendragon**__._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 13_

The inutachi watched with mild fascination at the Gaelic marriage ritual they were witnessing. Oddly enough it wasn't much different than the blessing ceremony that they had been through themselves. A priest in a black outfit with a white collar reluctantly did prayers over Sesshoumaru and Azami. The man had not wanted to preside over a cross cultural, dual religious ceremony. Azami had managed to convince the man that Kaede wasn't going to co-officiate with him. It was strictly a short Christian wedding to honor her parents.

The priest had insisted on "counseling" the pair as to the responsibilities of marriage. It hadn't ended well. Sesshoumaru had growled warningly and announced that he knew all about responsibility and that he had already done his duty in securing an heir. That had prompted a sputtering response and once the priest found out banns didn't have to be read here, an exchanging of vows had been arranged quickly.

"What I want to know is why Kagome and I had to have a clan wedding when the current lord does not." Inuyasha scowled at his brother and sister-in-law as they kissed, ending the ceremony.

"They'll have one," Hisana said. "But it's kind of redundant at the moment since she is pupped."

"So that was the criteria? If I'd known, Kagome would have been pupped before she graduated."

"No, I wouldn't have. Mama would have had you crying for mercy if had you so much as thought that."

Miroku cocked a grin at his friend's downturned ears. "I see she speaks true. Higurashi-san is certainly going to be an interesting lady to know."

"Keh, yes, she is. _Interesting_ doesn't begin to cover her."

"Inuyasha, are you suggesting something is wrong with my mother?" A cocked brow let him know to watch his words. She had heard his emphasis on his description.

"Of course not." When she turned away, Inuyasha gave a significant look to Miroku and Kohaku. The latter had just joined them. They smiled while the miko couldn't see their expression.

"You'd better not," Kagome grumbled and wandered away. She knew he loved her mother but also had the nasty suspicion that he thought she was a little touched in the head from the way the elder Higurashi woman had always been so calm about her time traveling with a half demon teenage boy. Since she couldn't prove it though, she had to let the matter drop. He'd been very supportive lately and Inuyasha didn't deserve to be sat for no reason.

Kirara looked on the scene with amusement, glad that the matter of Azami's Gaelic wedding had been settled. Hisana turned her nose up at the necessity and Kellan merely looked smug. It was finally time to get the two of them alone and read them the riot act, as Kagome would say if she was privy to the nekomata's thoughts. "Merow!" she ordered, giving them each a commanding look. Flipping her tails up, she led the way out of the village to a field far enough away from the inhabitants that if the two matriarchs decided to go at each other, no one would be harmed.

Turning to study them, she gathered her _youki_ and transformed into her humanoid figure. Kellan gave her a startled look but didn't comment. Hisana, having listened unwillingly to lectures in the past when the fire cat took on this form knew what was coming. "You two have a lot of built up hostility between you. If you desire to fight so much, do so here, away from the kittens. You are not to involve them. They will only feel obliged to side with one or the other. I expect you to present a united front when you return.

"The time is coming when the centuries will drag out and they will need us to look to for guidance. Kellan, you must use the time to teach Azami what she needs to know about controlling and using the powers she inherited from you. There is no telling when or if they will ever be of necessity to her and the clan."

"Of course." It was a bit disconcerting to see a cat transform into a two legged demon. The cream and black tails moved back and forth in agitation.

"Good, I will leave you two to sort things out then. Do not disappoint me." In a surge of power Kirara was back to her cute size form and she wandered away. She had a feeling that the field was about to be decimated. Frankly, she didn't want to be caught up in the explosion.

When Kirara arrived back, it was to find the Fae interpreter standing around with a confused expression on her face. Liadán had not gone with her queen to act in her normal capacity. Finding it strange, the nekomata suddenly realized Kellan had understood her every word without needing the younger faerie's services. "Mew?" she questioned.

"Lady Kirara, Her Majesty has finally finished learning your language. She has no need for me to interpret any longer. When she returns, please tell her I have returned home." The fire cat wondered at the ability of the queen to learn their language so quickly but nodded her head in understanding. There was often negative energy around demons and she had found out before that the young Fae became ill in the presence of it. Plus it must be uncomfortable when you had to relay someone else's thoughts, even if you did not agree with them. Some rulers thought it all right to do away with the messenger just because they were the bearer of bad news. She wouldn't have put it past Hisana to do that one of these days if she got angry enough to forget that "killing the messenger" was frowned upon. Not that Sesshoumaru was any less likely to commit that offence on occasion. Both demons were not known for their restraint when something displeased them.

"Mew!" she said in farewell and watched Liadán leave before turning to take inventory of her litter. The four kittens she had given birth to were playing with Sango's children as well as Shippou and Mitsuaki. The other four couples were sitting around an outdoor fire discussing the movements of the human armies while Ah-Un and Jaken lounged several feet away absolutely bored. Seeing that all was well at the moment, she padded over to take advantage of the extra heat.

"Lady Kirara, where is Great-Grandmother and Lady Hisana?" An explosion in the distance had everyone looking off towards the field where she'd left the two noblewomen. "Ah, I see they're finally going to battle things out." They saw brilliant hues of energy brighten the sky, demonstrating Kellan's power.

"This ought to be interesting." Inuyasha turned so that he could see the spectacle from where he sat next to Kagome. The others watched clouds of dust plume upwards but weren't concerned with the outcome. The two women might come back banged up but they were too equal in power for one to kill the other. Sesshoumaru ignored the demonstration after his initial assessment in favor of playing with the ribbon that was attached to the flower circlet Azami still wore. He was finding the ornament quite attractive against her auburn locks. He'd much rather be elsewhere showing his mate just how attractive he thought her but knew that if he suggested leaving the others while his mother and her great-grandmother were fighting, he wouldn't be doing anything but the opposite of what he wanted to that night.

"They won't kill each other, will they?" Rin asked worriedly.

"Nah, they're pretty evenly matched," Inuyasha said absently. "They'll hurt each other but that's about it. Don't worry too much, Rin. There's a lot of hostility built up between them. They're both proud noblewomen who like getting their own way. Once they see that they can't win every fight, they'll settle down."

"One can assume," Miroku added. He wasn't as confident as his friend that they wouldn't try to go at each other's throats in the future.

"Hn, they are grown; let them have at each other if they wish." Murmurs of agreement went around the circle and the matter was dropped.

Late afternoon had arrived before the two matriarchs returned to their family. Both were covered in scratches and bruises, blood staining their normally elegant clothing. Sleeves had been torn off and fur singed so that they were unclean and most definitely un-kept. Sesshoumaru had never seen his mother so in a shambles and was actually gratified by the sight. Her once proud air had become humble and he figured she'd remain that way for at least a few days while her dignity repaired itself. The Fae queen also looked less than regal, her golden hair frizzy and tangled. There were pieces of her dress missing and she was barefoot. Glancing down at his mother's own feet, he was surprised to find her also without her shoes.

"You are satisfied now?" Hisana asked the nekomata and got a smirk in return.

"Azami, my dear, I do believe I shall go home for the moment. As Hisana has given me directions to your home, I will visit sometime soon in the future. For now, you should concentrate on keeping those babies safe."

"Yes, Great-Grandmother. Are you all right?"

"I am perfectly fine. There is no need to worry. A little poisonous acid is not going to kill a faerie queen." Kellan bade the others goodbye and let the inutachi to stare in confusion at the remaining combatant.

"Hisana-okaasan, what happened?"

"Nothing that you should concern yourselves with. We have settled things to our satisfaction." With her remaining pride, the demoness limped into her stepson's house.

"Don't concern ourselves? They look just this side of undressed and are covered in wounds and dirt. Just what happened between them?"

"Keh, isn't it obvious? They beat each other to a pulp."

"Oh, yes, and we all know _that_ solves everything, don't we?" Kagome said sarcastically, looking pointedly between the two brothers. They were wise enough not to answer.

Kirara brushed up against everyone's legs in reassurance and to let them know that what had happened had been with her approval. "Mew," she said and went to find out just what _had_ gone on while Hisana and Kellan had fought. She really did want this to be the end of the matter despite her suspicions otherwise.

"My dear friends, I do believe our esteemed elder has told us all quite bluntly to mind our own business." Miroku chuckled, rising to help Sango into their home.

"Like that'll ever happen," Inuyasha put in. "If we had all minded our own business, on several occasions, we wouldn't have gotten into trouble."

"Why do I have the feeling you're blaming me for some of the scrapes we got into along the way?"

"Do I really need to bring up the food demons again, Kagome?"

"That wasn't my fault! No one told me what would happen if I boiled them! And I wasn't even the one who did it. The water spilled from the pot!"

Sesshoumaru and the others saw the beginnings of a long argument and merely went about their business, leaving the two alone. Although his brother did have a point, there were some instances where not minding one's own business had beneficial results. Looking at his mate and daughter, he could think of two right in front of him. Three if he counted sheltering Kohaku for a time.

"Anata?"

"Just thinking. There are some benefits to not minding one's own business."

"Yes, there are, aren't there?"

"Inuyasha protests too much if he says otherwise."

Azami chuckled and linked her arm with her husband's. "He only does what you would do if you were as vocal as he. Since you do not verbally protest all that much, I suppose his protestations can count for you as well."

"Hn."

"My point exactly."

_

* * *

_

A/N: Now before you all complain about not seeing bloodshed from the fight between Hisana and Kellan, I plan on making a one-shot for it. That way, for all of you who are interested can read it without it taking away from the story here. It's certainly worthy of its own chapter, ne?


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: I have a quite few people to thank for the last chapter: __**GoldenRose88**__, __**EshaNapoleon**__, __**Victoria Pendragon**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Puppylove7**__, and __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__. It's been a while but here is the next chapter. I've decided to break "TNG" down into three parts. The Feudal Era, Somewhere in Between, and Modern Japan. This should be the second to last chapter in the first part. I hope you all enjoyed "Battle Royale." _

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 14_

Azami gazed at the snow falling outside her chamber window and pulled the heavy kimonos around her increasing frame. She had taken her great-grandmother's advice to heart several months ago and was concentrating on keeping herself and her unborn children safe. After the fight between Hisana and Kellan the extended family of the Western Lands had gone back to their respective homes, all looking forward to the births of their own children, or in Kohaku and Rin's case, the time when their various nieces/cousins, brother and sister would be born. The younger couple had traveled before the snow fell to Lady Kaede's village to see their nieces and before bringing the news to Azami, Sesshoumaru and Hisana. They had brought the children from Horai Island to stay the winter at the large castle on the mountain top and for the first time in Azami's memory, there was laughter in the normally cold halls.

She turned her head as the twins ran passed her door, the two playing with the wooden swords Sesshoumaru had insisted they begin learning how to use. Tomorrow there would be another batch of half demon and humans joining the clan and she couldn't wait to see what gifts they would bring to the fold. None of them had as yet discovered their youkai powers and for that she was glad. They deserved time to learn how to be children before the pressures and duties of their affiliation with the Western Lands turned them into warriors or diplomats.

"Get back here, Dai!" Roku's shout echoed along the corridor, bringing a smile to Azami's face. Several servants protested loudly at the commotion they were making. Deciding to save them from the imminent peril they'd be in if her husband and mate found out that they weren't studying; she exited her warm chamber into the cooler hall. She'd have to get the servants to light the stoves. They might become too warm but there was no way she was going to freeze. The twins seemed to be taking all the heat from her body.

"I do believe you two are supposed to be studying your kendo with Kohaku. Why are you running in the halls?" she asked, amused at the guilty looks on their faces. Their orange and green hair was even more disheveled than usual. She'd have to remind them to brush it before dinner.

"Sorry, Azami-sama," Dai said, completely lacking in remorse.

"Kohaku-sensei is with Rin-hime," his twin answered by way of explanation. "And the girls are busy with Lady Taisho."

"Where is Shion?"

"In the library, where else? He'd rather be studying musty old scrolls with Hano-sama than learning how to fight with a sword."

"To each his own," Azami reminded them in a light scold. "Shall I see if Sesshoumaru is free to teach you instead of Kohaku? I'm sure he could keep you busy." The twins shook their heads in unison, each not wanting to deal with the taiyoukai. They had enough problems when Inuyasha got annoyed with them. There was no telling what the demon lord would do if they got on _his_ bad side.

"You could do it," Roku suggested. The children had learned that she had a soft spot for orphans and liked to press their luck when they could.

"I could, if I were not carrying my mate's heir and daughter. I can however send you about tasks guaranteed to keep you occupied until Kohaku is free once again."

"Ah, come on, Azami-sama. We were having fun."

"You were having fun disturbing the staff," a new voice interrupted and they turned to see Anna standing beside Lady Satsuki. Azami's personal maid now enjoyed a certain level of authority among the servants because she had always been loyal to their new lady and Azami favored her because of that. She was the only servant she would trust to help care for her babies once they were born.

Satsuki frowned at the boys, not pleased with being disturbed while she made medicine. "If you are so filled with energy, you will then help me by telling everyone to make sure all the fires are lit and blazing. Rin has come down with a cold and I do not wish her to become any sicker."

They made to protest but one look at all three adult women's faces forestall the words. They had learned that females' tempers tended to get more fierce as they got older. Before the inutachi had rescued them, they'd only had to contend with Asagi's occasional scolding. After experiencing Kagome's anger, they no longer complained when they were given orders by another woman.

"Yes, ma'am," they chorused and meekly followed the elder youkai.

Anna stood where she was, satisfaction on her face. "You should stay in your room until the place warms up. Lord Sesshoumaru would not be pleased if you came down with the same thing Lady Rin has."

"My husband overreacts," Azami returned. "I am going to see how Rin is. There's no need to disturb Sesshoumaru. He has enough to deal with at the moment. The other nobles hanging around do not like the fact that the children are here."

"It's kind of nice," Anna put in, walking with her lady to ensure that the unbalanced woman didn't stumble. The babies had grown quickly and Azami wasn't yet used to the extra weight. Sesshoumaru had wanted Anna to be with his mate whenever he could not, knowing that out of all the servants, only she could be trusted. The others had made it no secret that they resented the fact that Azami had become their new lady when there had been a few eligible ladies ready and willing to become the new Lady of the Western Lands. There was nothing they could do about the situation unless they wanted to become traitors and die by their lord's hand. Anna heard their complaints often though and stuck close to her lady's side. The partly Fae human still had to learn how to channel the powers she'd gotten from her great-grandmother and was in no condition to be practicing with energies that they didn't know about and that could possible harm the unborn pups. And since Azami was unable to properly wield a sword at this time, she was forced to rely on someone else for protection.

"It is, isn't it?" Azami asked, knocking on the chamber door that led the way to Kohaku and Rin's suite. The young couple had been embarrassed by the opulence of the chambers they were given but did so without comment for fear of insulting Azami's generosity. Hisana had been present at the time and knowing their feelings, had casually made the comment that she had had nothing less when she was a princess in her father's court.

Kohaku opened the door before Anna could answer her lady and the bags under his eyes were clear indications of how much he was worried about his wife's health. He let the two women in without saying a word, waving them on into the bedroom. "Kohaku-kun, go take a nap. We'll sit with her for a little while. Satsuki-sama is making her some medicine as we speak and she'll be better in no time." Azami put a mask on, protecting her from possibly catching the cold.

"She's a terrible patient," he muttered before wandering away to get what sleep he could.

Neither his mother-in-law nor her maid commented on that, knowing that because Rin was rarely ill, it was true. They found Rin in bed, her nose red and hair in disarray. "Okaa-sama," she croaked, holding out a weak hand. "Can I have some tea?"

"Of course," Azami answered, pouring from the pot that had been left near the fire. She brought it to Rin's side, helping the adolescent sit up and sip gently on the hot liquid. "My poor dear."

"Kohaku's being mean," the young woman complained. "He won't sleep beside me."

"That's because he would become sick too. You don't want him to catch your cold, do you?" Azami hated the thought of both young people sick at the same time. Misery might love company but she doubted anything good would come of them being ill at the same time.

"No," Rin admitted.

"See, and you can tell just by looking at him that he's worried. He's not sleeping well away from you. That's the mark of a man who loves you. One mark, anyway. And is he not staying by your side while his students suffer from his inattention?"

"Yes," her adopted daughter whispered before a coughing fit sent her body into spasms. No one could do a guilt trip like a mother.

"There now."

Anna hid her smile as the princess got scolded gently and said nothing until Satsuki came with the medicine. The elder dog demoness took over their vigil and they left to return to Azami's chamber. The hallway was still cool and they were almost there when the lady sneezed. Not three seconds later Sesshoumaru appeared, concern in his normally ice cold eyes. He had set a new personal record for traveling from his study to the chambers he shared with Azami.

"Are you all right? You haven't caught Rin's illness?"

"No, Sesshoumaru. The hallway has not yet warmed up, that is all. I'll be fine in our bedchamber. Please do not worry. Go back to your work and I will see you at dinner." The women were forced to endure his presence while he checked her over before finally believing that she wasn't catching a cold.

After he left, Anna chuckled at Azami's aggrieved expression. "He has certainly changed. I would never have guessed that the almighty Lord of the Western Lands would become easily concerned about someone's health just because they were carrying his pups."

"And now you know how a mate reacts to any and all oddities of child baring."

"The rest of your pregnancy is going to be most amusing."

"I'll remind you of that one of these days when you've finally taken a mate and have to deal with such things."


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 15_

There were too many people, Sesshoumaru decided as he gazed at the mass of humanity and youkai in the banquet hall. His brother's pack, his daughter and her group, plus all the youkai nobles who hadn't had the good sense to leave before his mate gave birth. Azami shifted uncomfortably beside him and he was tempted to forego manners and take her back to their suite so that she could sit at the small table there and eat in peace.

"Not much longer, child," Kellan comment gently, eyeing her great-granddaughter. The demon lord nearly rolled his eyes. He'd forgotten about the small contingent of faeries that had arrived that morning unannounced. Their spring festivals were apparently over and they'd concluded that it was best that several court officials be present for the birth of their princess' first children. Never mind that the children were mostly youkai in blood and on a whole different side of the world, not to mention dimension.

"I know," Azami whispered. She had a feeling that before dinner was through, she'd be making an early exit. If the pain in her lower back was any indication, she was already in labor. Once her mate got wind of the situation, she wouldn't see the outside of their bedroom for days. Not that she was going to bring it to his attention any sooner than necessary. Sesshoumaru tended to be oblivious of the female body unless it had to do with pleasure but he wasn't slow on the uptake. Once he noticed, he acted quickly.

For the moment she was going to enjoy having her family surround them, taking in the news Kagome, Sango and Rin brought her. The two other mothers were proudly showing off their new daughters, and she couldn't wait to do the same with Yuki. Frowning, she realized that in all the fuss over the pass few months about her pregnancy, she'd forgotten the one important factor remaining.

They'd forgotten to pick out a name for their son.

"Sesshoumaru!" she gasped, clutching, his arm.

"What? Now? Tell me it isn't now."

"No, it's not that! We forgot to pick out a name for our son!" Several people heard her and laughed at the stunned expression on her face. They were forced to stop when she glared at them.

"Do not be foolish. I chose one almost immediately." Her nails dug into his arm and although it didn't hurt, the look she gave him would have killed him if it were possible.

"You did _what?_" she asked incredulously. Her voice came out in a hiss.

"Yes," he affirmed, hearing his brother snicker. Miroku cleared his throat meaningfully. Somehow he got the feeling he was digging himself a hole. The women around the room were eyeing him with displeasure.

"And just when were you going to tell me?" she asked. "You have chosen both of their names without consulting me."

"I did not want to worry you. Kagome and Sango both went through much to choose the names and my brother and the monk dithered."

"True," Azami agreed. "But that doesn't give you the right to hold back from me. What is this name you have chosen?"

"Shiroken." His lady blinked, mulling over the name in her head. Sesshoumaru tried not to let a smug look overtake his face.

"White sword. You wish to name our son 'white sword.' How do you come up with these things?" Azami turned to the other females in her pack. They too seemed to be thinking about the name.

"Could be worse," Kagome murmured.

"He could have tried to add it to his name in some way," Sango added.

"I think it's nice," Rin said, ever loyal to her father.

"It's a strong name," Inuyasha sided with his brother. "He's going to be a half demon, so he needs a name that'll make people pay attention." Miroku nodded but stayed silent.

The others didn't comment, waiting for Azami's judgment. Whether he knew it or not, Sesshoumaru wouldn't have a leg to stand on if she disapproved. "I suppose so," she said quietly. "All right, Shiroken, it is. The next time you think to choose a name for a child of ours without asking my opinion, reconsider." The "or else" was left unsaid.

"Hn," he uttered but didn't complain. Nor was he smug any longer. Sesshoumaru realized that he'd just gotten lucky. In her current mood, she could have made a big deal out of the fact that he'd chosen a name without her permission. Add it to the fact that her mood of late had always been just this side of foul, and the scenario wasn't good.

Attempting to go back to her meal, Azami was surprised by the blinding pain that squeezed her insides like a vise. Dropping her chopsticks onto the table, she was forced to gasp for breath. Sesshoumaru's eyes swung to find hers and didn't like the pain they found. "Koneko," he said urgently, and turned to find the women of his pack and clan rise as one.

"Let's go," Kellan said gently, helping her great-granddaughter to her feet. Hisana took the young woman's other arm and they went out the room. Kagome and Sango followed, leaving the babies in the care of their husbands and Rin. Satsuki left via another door, presumably to get her supplies.

Sesshoumaru made to go after his mate but his brother's hand stopped him. "Release me," he ordered his voice rough with anger.

"Let them get her settled first. This is only the beginning. You can go see her in a few minutes. Don't worry, aniki, these things take time." Rin and Miroku nodded knowingly, the former having helped Kaede many times.

"Truly, Papa. I helped bring plenty of babies into the world and can tell you that it's the truth. Everything will be fine; you just have to be patient."

Patient and the Taisho brothers didn't go hand in hand as anyone remaining in the room could have told her but they left the princess in ignorance. "Perhaps this would be a good time for you to go see Totosai about those swords you've been meaning to have made for the twins. By the time you come back, she'll be ready to see you." The sword smith had also come to see the birth of the heir and his sister so the senile old man was hanging around the castle somewhere.

"Indeed," Sesshoumaru agreed, missing his brother's grin. There was nothing more he could do at the moment and it would be a waste of his time to remain trying to eat his dinner.

Standing, he bowed to the room at large for form's sake and went in search of the trouble maker. While Sesshoumaru couldn't deny the demon's prowess when it came to swords and the knowledge he had from the Inutaisho, there wasn't much else recommending Totosai to his current lord. His usefulness as a retainer remained only because he could maintain Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga while creating new seals for the brothers' children.

He found the smith near the largest fire, stuck in the kitchen. He was drinking sake with Myoga and telling tales he had no business telling. "Totosai."

"Ah, come to have me make swords for your pups have you? All right, open up." A large pair of pliers made an appearance and the demon lord knew the old man took a perverse pleasure in prying the fangs out of his mouth. Since he did the same with Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru figured it was revenge for all the trouble he and his brother gave him.

Not letting a word or noise pass his lips to show his discomfort, Sesshoumaru left Totosai to his business and returned to his mate's side. Azami was finally settled in their bed and he was grateful for once that she had gotten him to agree to use hers which was several inches off of the floor. It was more comfortable for her and he wanted this birth to be as easy as possible. Logically he knew she would soon be in a great deal of pain but for the moment, there was no need for her to feel any if it could be help.

"Koneko," he said softly, her moan of discomfort as another contraction hit going straight to his heart. Before Rin, everyone would have said his heart was frozen but now his mate was able to touch him with only a sound and it hurt him to see her in pain.

"It's all right, Sesshoumaru. I was expecting this. To do otherwise would have been foolish. You probably are not going to want to be here when the babies come."

Satsuki snorted, not bothering to hide her disapproval. "The birthing room is forbidden to men. You are to leave at once when the active labor starts. Is that clear, young man?"

"If you insist, Obaa-sama." As much as he wanted to stay by Azami's side, he would not bring the elder's wrath down on his head. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took one of Azami's hands into his own and squeezed lightly. "I will be nearby the entire time. You have only to call, and I will come." He nearly cringed when her hand tightened painfully around his fingers. Women in labor apparently got superhuman strength for the time it was necessary to give birth. Perhaps that was how they were able to go through the pain more than once.

"Thank you. Sesshoumaru…" she paused, using the breathing technique Kagome had told her about. It helped lessen the effects.

"Yes, koneko?"

"You will love our children, will you not?"

"Do not ask such a foolish question," Sesshoumaru ordered, disliking that she would think differently.

"It is not foolish!"

Hisana, Kellan, and Satsuki exchanged pitying glances while Kagome and Sango merely sighed. Sesshoumaru was turning out to be as much of an idiot as Inuyasha and Miroku when it came to these things. They knew he was stubborn but they hadn't really believed he was a complete fool until that instant.

"Nii-san…"

"What?" he snapped, taking his eyes off of his mate for only a moment.

"You're not supposed to say such things. You reassure her, no matter what."

"It is a ridiculous question. Of course I will love my children."

"It was not a ridiculous question." Sango wiped the sweat from Azami's brow and sighed before looking at the dog demon. "Things that we normally wouldn't give a second thought to rear their heads as insecurities when we're in labor. I knew beyond a doubt that Miroku would always be faithful to me but when I was in labor with Amami and Akeno I needed his reassurance. The same principle applies here."

"Hn," he commented and bent down to touch noses with Azami. "Never doubt that my children and my mate are my life."

"Good," she said softly before another contraction took over. "Then you can have the next one!"

"Okay," Kagome said, taking her stunned brother-in-law's arm. "Time for you to go." She ushered him out into the hall, giving him into Inuyasha's keeping. "Go get him drunk or something," she ordered just as another shout from Azami had the men present flinching.

"I can't leave…"

"You get your bloody self back here, Sesshoumaru Taisho!"

"On second thought…"

"Yeah, retreat is about survival this time, aniki." Inuyasha dragged a disconcerted demon lord away. He was going to have fun with this for months. The Lady of the West could be heard outside by all who had youkai hearing and several men were seen wincing in envisioned pain when Azami threatened to do away with their most precious body part.

Inuyasha brought Sesshoumaru to his study where Hano and Miroku waited with open jugs of sake. "Where are the runts?"

"Kohaku and Rin are generously taking care of them with Asagi and Moegi's help. We are free to indulge and sympathize with our dear friend here. I will have you know that we share your pain, Sesshoumaru," Miroku said with false empathy.

"Ridiculous," the elder Taisho declared but it lacked its usual scornfulness.

"Of course," they chorused.

* * *

Kirara paced in front of the noble couple's suite in her enlarged form. There was nothing she could do at the moment for Azami except to ensure that no one interrupted the birth. It would be difficult, she had no doubt but with so many helping, nothing could possibly be overlooked. She laid her ears back several times when Azami's shouts got too loud for her sensitive hearing. The two dog demonesses in the room with her must be suffering.

The first cry of an infant had her smiling as much as she could in her current shape and the nekomata elder purred in contentment when Shiroken made his appearance into the world. She heard the murmurs from the other women and couldn't wait to see the pup. It was nearly a half hour later before Yukitenshi joined her twin, completing the set. The prince and second princess of the West were now born. Using one giant claw, Kirara pried the door open and wandered into the birthing room. The women of the Western Pack and Kellan stood surrounding Azami and the newborns.

"Merow," she rumbled so that they'd know she was there to see the children and check them over.

"Oh, Kirara, they're beautiful, aren't they?" Kagome whispered, careful of tiny ears. Tiny triangles covered in the softest fur twitched at the fire cat's approach.

Shrinking, Kirara jumped up on to the bed and made her way to Azami's side. Small noses wrinkled, catching her feline scent and mouths gaped to show they weren't pleased at all the attention. "Mew," she agreed with the sighs of appreciation.

"Her eyes are the same as yours, Azami," Sango commented. All of the other children born of the Taisho brothers had their fathers' gold eyes.

"The Fae blood runs strong in this one. You said that she came to Sesshoumaru in a dream one night. That makes her a Dream Chaser. It is a rare gift yet I would expect nothing less from you, child," Kellan said, holding out one finger.

"Yes, she can go into anyone's dream at anytime."

"That is a simplified explanation. She will learn. As will this young man, whatever his gift may be." Shiroken yawned, the empty gums only a temporary anomaly. Within a few days the first bumps of his new fangs would appear.

"Shall we go show the proud papa?" Hisana asked, eager to hold her grandchildren.

"Yes, please." Azami let each grandmother have one, Kirara and Satsuki trailing to make sure that Hisana did not drop her grandson. Sango and Kagome would remain behind to get Azami cleaned up. Anna rushed forward, her head bowed in respect to the new pups. She made a small rumble in her chest so that they'd know that she could always be counted on. Tiny yips were given in response.

"So cute!" Kagome said as the door shut behind the procession.

"You always say that."

"It's true." Azami laughed and sank back into the pile of pillows her great-grandmother had brought.

"I need a nap."

"You say that now. Wait a few days and then you'll really need one. If you want anyone who isn't dedicated to you gone, those two up at all hours will do the trick."

"Oh, good, and here I was worried I'd have to wait before they made any mischief."

"Are you kidding? Children born of Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha Taisho are born ready and able to do all kinds of mischief." Laughter filled the room and Azami was eternally grateful for friends such as Kagome and Sango.

* * *

Inuyasha was the first to sense the new arrivals. Sesshoumaru was lounging behind his desk, a large saucer of sake still in his hand. The cries of his mate had been replaced with the cries of his children but he was still in the stage of disbelief. "They're here. Time to buck up. And you should lose that shark's jaw. You're going to have to hold them close to your heart and you can't do that with that armor in the way." The younger brother helped his brother remove the interfering bone and kept his ears alert for trouble. This would be the perfect time for someone to try to hurt the newborns or their father.

Satsuki opened the door without seeking permission, glaring at the impromptu party they'd had. "Hano-san, the new father smells of alcohol. Azami will not be pleased."

"Was the only thing I could think of to calm him down," the elder excused himself.

"My son is drunk. And here I thought that only happened when he was around me too often. Sesshoumaru, come see your heir. Isn't he just the most darling creature?"

The demon lord stepped forward, eager to see both of his children, although his son more so. He knew what Yuki looked like but she had made no mention of a twin brother so his curiosity was aroused. "Shiroken." The boy's ears swiveled towards the baritone voice of his father and Sesshoumaru was pleased that the pup apparently already knew his name. Taking the child into his arms, he held him close and spoke to him in inuyoukai. He did this until he was given a yawn and then proceeded to do the same with his daughter. Small curls graced her head and he knew that she would be one of the most beautiful youkai to exist one day. "Yukitenshi."

"They're beautiful, aniki." Inuyasha placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, feeling the fine trembling. "Hey…"

"I have a son, and a daughter."

"Yes…" Miroku's gaze seemed to sober up. "Ah, I see."

"A true miracle, pup," Hano said happily.

"Having Rin accept me as her father was a miracle. I never thought…" Suddenly realizing he was rambling and showing vulnerability that he couldn't afford for his enemies to find out about, Sesshoumaru straightened and cleared his throat.

"None of us did, aniki," Inuyasha returned, knowing how he felt.

"I will kill anyone who tries to harm my children. Let it be known that to do so will be considered treason and death will be the only punishment."

"Of course," Hisana said in full approval. Kirara rumbled agreement and murmurs went around the room in assent. "Now then, I believe these two are ready for their first meal. You should come and see your mate, son."

"Yes, Mother," the taiyoukai answered and the other men watched as he meekly followed the women, still captivated by his children.

"As as statement of love, the Lord of the Western Lands couldn't have done better."

"That's my brother for you."

"The Taisho men were never ones for flowery words."

"No, we're not," Inuyasha agreed.

* * *

Sesshoumaru walked quietly into the bedchamber and stood silently watching his mate sleep. Hours had passed since she'd given birth and he still couldn't believe that she'd given him two healthy, perfect children. At the present they rested in tiny beds made to sit up off of the floor, cushioned and protected by wards and seals. No one was getting to them without going through a great deal of trouble if they weren't meant to hold the pups. Each slumbered as if they had not a care in the world and Sesshoumaru intended for it to stay that way. They could all meet the rest of the family and clan in the morning.

"Sesshou?"

"You should sleep."

"I felt you staring. Is something the matter?"

"Thank you." Azami's eyes widened, trying to remember the last time he had uttered the simple platitude. Nothing came to mind and her eyes filled with tears.

"You're welcome. Thank you, for giving them to me."

The demon lord sank onto the bed, putting his head on her chest. She stroked his hair, kissing the top of his head. "They are precious. I wish I had known this feeling when Inuyasha was born. I would have done things so much differently."

"He knows that. The feelings of a parent can only be experienced by those who are parents. You were still very much a child, despite how old you were. You wouldn't have understood then."

"Do you suppose this is how Father felt, each time we were born?"

"I have no doubt. A parent would die to protect and lives to nurture and love their young. We will do the same, along with our pack, our family. There is nothing we will not do to ensure their future and their safety."

"I must warn you, Shiroken will most likely be like me." Azami giggled, unable to deny the claim.

"The Taisho blood runs true. And Yuki will be like me."

"Of that I have no doubt." Raising his head, he gently kissed his wife. "I love you."

"I love you," she said and left it at that. There was nothing more to say.


	16. Chapter 16: Transition

_A/N: Thank you to the nine of you who reviewed: __**Taraah36**__, __**ScarletCamellia**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, __**blackdame**__, __**Puppylove7**__, __**Victoria Pendragon**__, __**GoldenRose88**__, __**Esha Napoleon**__, and __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__. And thank you to those of you who've added this or its author to your lists. This chapter is a prelude to the second part "Somewhere in Between." It covers some of what happened between the last chapter and what will occur in that part. As a warning though, you might want to have some tissues handy._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 16: Transition_

Elegant clawed hands rolled the scroll up and secured its bindings before setting it aside and gazing at the eager faces gathered around her. So many were missing and Kirara once again cursed those responsible for her missing kittens. "Oba-sama?" one voice asked worriedly and the nekomata tried to smile. She could hear the sobs of grief in the other wing.

"I'm sorry, I was just remembering."

Yuki bowed her head, not having to be told what the elder was remembering. When she was younger, her uncles' children had wanted to join the clan and age like the rest of them. They had gathered at her father's castle to perform the ceremony just as they had for her elder sister and brother-in-law years before. Everyone had attended to see the new generation of Taishos.

The ceremony had proceeded as expected, no one worried that something would go wrong. They were the lords and ladies of the Western Lands, only fools would dare try to interrupt such a thing. Half way through the ceremony they discovered that there _were_ fools in the world who would try to go against the clan. Invaders from the north attacked, cutting short the part of the ceremony that would lengthen the lives of the children joining. By the time the invaders were defeated and everyone's wounds tended to, it was too late to begin again. While the children were officially a part of the clan, there was no way their lives could be lengthened now. Once interrupted, the ceremony could not be repeated.

Kirara had become enraged during the attack, finally able to take on her third form and keep it for significant lengths of time. She had decimated the culprits, turning on nobles in the castle that had conspired with the northern clans. Blood had rained down the castle walls and no one had dared tell her to stop.

"Oba-sama?" a quiet voice said again and both Kirara and Yuki were taken out of their morose thoughts. "Why don't you tell us a different story? Like the one about everyone's reaction to cute little Yuki-chan and Shiro-kun?" Rin smiled, ruffling her brother's hair and giving a quick tweak to her sister's ears. The oldest princess sat at the back of the group, waiting for the fire cat to speak. Her children were sitting at the nekomata's feet, interested. It wasn't a story they'd heard before.

"Very well. Yuki and Shiro were a noisy duo. They made their displeasure clear from the first moment they drew breath and being introduced to their extended family certainly fit into that category. One couldn't be faulted as they certainly were the cutest pups in existence."

"Oba-sama!" Yuki blushed, even her ears changing to a light pink. Her brother's face took on a look often seen on their father when he was angry. Not that Shiro would say anything, this was the elder speaking. Next to Hano and Satsuki, she was the oldest person around and he knew better than to be disrespectful. She was plenty able to tan his hide if necessary.

"You would not want me to lie, would you?" Kirara smiled, amused even as her heart was hurting. They had lost the last of the kittens that day whose lives had been cut short by the attack and she was finding it hard to be cheerful. She had willingly gathered the little ones around her to leave Kagome and Inuyasha alone. Sango and Miroku were off exterminating but they too would need comfort when they returned. Sesshoumaru and Azami had taken a trip to Kellan's palace, leaving Rin and Kohaku to guard the castle, and Hisana. The half demon and his mate had shown up here, needing to be away from their home for the moment. The kittens at her feet belonged to Rin and Kohaku but she counted them as her own just the same.

"No," the young girl muttered.

"Now then, as I was saying. Yuki was passed around first, her purple eyes and curly hair surprising most people. They were sure that Sesshoumaru's features would run true; Azami's only showing up during her human time. The only thing of the demon lord's that was evident besides the color of her hair was the crescent on her forehead. Shiro, on the other hand, was a replica of his father."

"I am the heir," he said.

"That much is evident," Kirara replied, a warning not to get too full of himself in her words. His widened eyes told her that he understood. "Anyway, you were fussed over and kissed by your family and each of you let out a loud yell of discontent when you'd had enough. Of course, you were really just hungry and in need of a change. This was proven a few days later when you were passed around again and became lost in the attention."

"We did not," Yuki denied, only to have her sister hug her from behind.

"Oh, you did. You loved the attention. And you can't very well deny it, as you were too little to remember."

"Hn," Shiro muttered and had Kirara laughing.

"What about us, Oba-sama?"

"You? Well, you were the first of Rin and Kohaku's to be born, Aiko. And despite his bragging, your father reacted just like the others. He thought he was calm and ready. He'd seen Inuyasha, Miroku and even Sesshoumaru panic when their wives were having their children but Kohaku was determined that he was not going to be the same. Actually, he was a bit worse because he stayed passed out during the whole ordeal."

"Papa passed out?"

"Fainted dead away," Aiko's mother nodded, sensing her husband coming up behind her.

"I told you, I tripped and hit my head." Kohaku scowled, wondering what tales were being told to his children.

"You hit your head, all right. But that was _after_ you fainted. If Okaa-sama hadn't been there, you would have had a nasty head wound."

Aggrieved, the slayer snorted and left the room, his children laughing as he did so. He met the solemn eyes of his grandmother-in-law and bowed. "Laughter is much needed right now," Hisana said. She too, was grieving for the loss of Kagome and Inuyasha'a third child, Momo. The little girl had been born a few years after her sister and because of their mostly human blood had only been able to live around three hundred years.

"Do you think they'll make it back to Kagome-neesan's family?" Kohaku asked.

"I do, it is the only thing giving her hope at the moment. I do not know whether they will ever be able to have another child. Like your sister, losing a pup while you hardly age is not easy. We only have a couple more centuries to wait. Even if your children do not choose to lengthen their lives, you must not feel like you failed them when they do pass."

"I think it would be easier on us," Kohaku said, letting his gaze travel back to the room where his children were gathered. "We waited a long time to have them. After seeing what happened to my nieces and nephews, I wanted to be sure all those that could harm them that way were gone. Once Sesshoumaru-sama became Youkai Lord of Japan, we felt comfortable."

"Indeed, I was wondering if you were ever going to have children. Your mother-in-law certainly was anxious. I've never known a young woman eager to be a grandmother."

"Maybe that's because you're still a young woman yourself, Hisana-sama."

"This is true," the demoness said, allowing herself to be flattered.

Kohaku excused himself to tend to some duties his father-in-law had left for him and he felt better after conversing with the older dog demon. Having a conversation, no matter how sane, with Hisana always put things in perspective. He was grateful for his family and he wouldn't regret the time he had with his children, no matter what they chose. He had watched his sister and brother-in-law lose their children first to time and then Kagome and Inuyasha lose theirs. Rin had once asked him to wait until they had children because she wanted them to have something besides their grief to keep them going. Nieces and nephews certainly had fit that description and it had helped save Shippou from being smothered with their overflowing maternal instincts.

The kitsune was growing into a fine young man and he was regarded as one of the foremost of his kind in regards to fox magic. Unfortunately, since he was the oldest of the children the inutachi had, and the only one still alive, he was now going to be the one who got focused on. It would get hard with his sister gone.

"Kohaku." The taijiya looked up, not having sensed the kitsune's approach.

"Momo's gone, Shippou. Your father brought your mother here to grieve away from prying eyes. The others will tend to the village in the meantime."

Shippou bowed his head briefly, his own tears coming to the surface. He and Mitsuaki had adored their sisters, Sakura and Momo. "I'll go see them. Send Oba-san and Oji-san back when they get here."

"Sure." The two young men parted company and Shippou went to see his adoptive parents. Inuyasha merely cocked an ear when the fox demon entered their bedchamber, not moving away from his mate.

"Kaa-san," he whispered, kneeling by her bed.

"Shippou-chan?" Kagome gazed at him with bloodshot eyes and blew into a handkerchief.

"I came as soon as I got Kohaku's message. I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"You have your own life, runt. You came, that's what matters."

"Still…"

"It's not your fault." The trio near the bed turned to the doorway. Kirara stood there, her ruby eyes filled with pain. "It is mine, for not being a better guardian. If I had been able to take on this form sooner, that ceremony would never have gotten interrupted to the point of no return."

"That's not true, Kirara. And it's only natural for me to grieve. They lived long lives despite everything and I cannot regret that. To do so would be to regret what they did accomplish in life. I am not ashamed that my children didn't live to see their grandmother, great-grandfather, and uncle in the twenty-first century, only regretful. Thanks to Shippou's wonderful drawing and your youkai memories, they will live on forever. Mama will be able to hear and know them regardless of the fact that she'll never meet them. These tears are only a mother's tears. I will recover, just as Sango did."

The youkai present smiled, love for the miko in their presence evident in their faces. "You never fail to surprise me, Kagome-chan," the nekomata said lovingly. "And you're right; they did live long, full lives."

"And we still have Shippou. He might be three and a half centuries old, but he's far from grown. There's still much we can teach him. Isn't that right, Shippou-chan?"

"Yes, Okaa-san," he said and mentally groaned. He was most definitely going to get smothered. "And you have all those children of Rin's and Kohaku's to fuss over. They'll be the most spoiled children in the world thanks to you and Oba-sans."

"All those children?" Inuyasha scoffed. "There's only three."

"They'll be more," he said. Hopefully, he added silently.

"Well, regardless of whether this clan ever sees another newborn kitten, I will not let my guard down again. Those who wish to lengthen their lives will not have to fear the ceremony failing them." Kirara came forward and kissed each of the others on the head. "That is a promise."

"Thank you, Kirara. You've always taken such good care of us."

"And I always will."


	17. Part Two: Somewhere In Between: Ch 17

_A/N: It's a quick update so there aren't many people to thank for reviews as of yet: __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**blackdame**__, and __**GoldenRose88**__. I know, I know, it was a very sad chapter but that should be as sad as it gets for the rest of the series. And don't worry, the children may be gone, but their memories will live on. They'll be mentioned from time to time throughout the rest of the series._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Part Two: Somewhere In Between_

_Ch. 17_

Sesshoumaru studied his brother's face a month after the last of his children died. Rage still burned in the taiyoukai's chest at the thought of the reason for his niece's death. Inuyasha was still grieving, as was every other mother and father who had had to witness the results of the failed Clan Ceremony. "This Sesshoumaru is not happy."

"Keh, you and me both. You had something you wanted to discuss with me?"

"The humans in Edo have been making noises. It seems our continued presence among the foreigners without disguise is becoming problematic."

"Could have told you that. We need Shippou and the other fox demons to make charms like the one your future self will give me to borrow in Modern Japan."

"You said your clan ring is your charm." Both dog demon brothers gazed at the ring on the half demon's hand.

"The setting's different, but yeah, this is the ring. It'll probably have to be renewed every so often."

"Indeed. And I have been thinking that an alliance between a group of humans and demons, with one half demon, is necessary for our continued existence here in peace."

"They'll have to be trustworthy humans. We need allies in the human government. And someone who has direct access to the emperor. An ambassador of sorts, I guess. It's a good idea."

"We can sort out the details later. Tell me, how is imouto feeling?"

"She's okay. Kagome knew once we were attacked what would happen. I think it'll be a long time before she'll be able to have another child without worrying but I hope by the time we meet up with her family, she'll be ready. I'd like Higurashi-san to experience being a grandmother to the fullest extent. Shippou will most likely be a father himself by that time."

"Hn, if your mate and pack sister do not drive him insane in the meantime."

"I think your mother has the corner on insanity in this family." A snort of disgust brought smirks to their faces. Hisana stood outside the study door, indigent but pleased that Inuyasha and Kagome were recovering from losing their last child.

"You might as well enter, Mother." Sesshoumaru sighed, wishing he were back in the land of the Fae. His vacation from his mother had been a blessing even though the faeries had tried his patience. Being the consort of the next Fae queen had not been a pleasing time. He suddenly had twice as much work than he'd had as just the Taiyoukai of Japan. Some god somewhere must have thought he enjoyed paperwork and treaties because there appeared to be no end to them for him to go over and sign.

"I don't suppose you would care for another's opinion on this _alliance_ you are suggesting."

"Of course, Stepmother. Please, take a seat. What do you think?" Inuyasha had discovered in the last few centuries that she wasn't as hard to get along with as he'd thought if he took her advice seriously. Sesshoumaru's total disregard had apparently contributed to her antics over the years.

"It will be a laborious prospect. The first thing that needs to be done is that the emperor needs to know of our withdrawal of openly walking among the humans. Humans these days are afraid of what they do not understand and they have ceased understanding our importance. Then we must seek out just and trustworthy humans to sit on a committee of sorts that will judge human and youkai alike for crimes against same. With the human government's permission, of course."

"You have a point. Do you think you can get an audience with the emperor, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha picked up the tea cup that had been sitting untouched in front of him for several minutes and twisted his mouth in disgust at the taste. He called for Jaken to get him fresh tea, not surprised that the now elderly Jaken complained. The imp had never warmed to him despite the brothers' reconciliation. Once the refreshments were renewed, the discussion continued.

"It should not be too difficult. I will have my go-between make the arrangements." Sesshoumaru stood, having sensed his mate approach. Azami entered after a brief knock, smiling at the assembled company. "Koneko, is something the matter?"

"Can I not join you without something being wrong? Your children are ready for their lessons in kendo. They have finished their other studies for the day. Rin and Kohaku have left for the slayers' village. Miroku and Sango have returned to their temple."

"That's going to be a problem one of these days too," Inuyasha commented.

"What will be a problem, otouto?"

"One of these days someone is going to figure out that Miroku is the same person who's always been the temple priest since Mushin died. Not everyone is going to believe that the family keeps naming their eldest Miroku. Especially with no children hanging around. Perhaps we ought to buy up the land around there so that no one gets too close and figures out their secret. We have enough in the coffers to do that, don't we?"

"Indeed. And it could become useful one of these days. You and Kagome will also have to move out of Edo now that things are becoming difficult. I believe that it is time for the Higurashi clan to take over the shrine. I am sure Lady Kirara has already introduced your mate's ancestors to each other."

"No doubt. The nekomata loves to arrange things to her satisfaction." Hisana pretended to be insulted but she had long ago resigned herself to being forever at a disadvantage where the fire cat was concerned. It never did any good to try to one up an elder. Especially when said elder had two dog demon elders on her side. The days of cat against dog were long over.

"She only has our best interests at heart, Stepmother," Inuyasha defended the absent fire cat. Kirara had gone home with Sango and Miroku that morning. The four kittens that she had given to the slayer's children were scattered, keeping watch over the widespread clan for their mother. It was one of the ways the nekomata kept track of her large litter. She wasn't taking any chances that they would be put in danger. Inuyasha rather thought that Kirara had been more affected than he and the others when they'd lost their children. She had seen it as a failure on her part and she was taking no chances that it would happen again.

"Yes, I know. She doesn't think that I can do a good enough job." None of the three other people present mentioned her rotten track record. Something in their scent must have given them away because she growled lowly. "You needn't remind me of the past."

"I didn't say anything."

"Indeed, we said not a word."

"Hisana-okaasama, you mustn't take offence. Truly, we were not thinking anything." Azami looked at her mate and brother-in-law. The ironic look in their eyes told her different. "All right, in my own defense, I wasn't thinking anything."

"Che, of course you wouldn't. It is my son and stepson who have thought nasty things about me." Rising, she gave them a dirty look and left.

"You really have to let that go," Azami admonished. "It is the past and she can't change it. The important thing is that she's changed for the better. There is no doubt that she will continue to vex us in the future but that's a mother for you."

"Youkai have long memories, koneko. It is not easy for either of us to forget or forgive her negligence."

"Yes, I know. Now then, your own children are waiting."

"They can learn patience." Azami giggled, surprising both men.

"Yes, we all know that the Taishos have learned patience. And the sun will turn blue by the day's end." Giving each a kiss on the cheek, the Lady of Youkai Japan left the two to finish their discussion.

"She's got a point," Inuyasha murmured. "We can continue later, aniki. I want to go check on Kagome anyway. Your twins need something to occupy their minds before they decide to make mischief. The elders still hanging around won't be pleased if they become the object of Yuki and Shiro's pranks."

"My children wouldn't get into mischief if their cousin wasn't a kitsune."

"Sure, you keep on believing that. Maybe someday it'll even be true."

"Hn."


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: A group of people to thank: __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**blackdame**__, "__**Larissa**__," __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Victoria Pendragon**__, and __**Puppylove7**__. I had one person add this to an alert list, so thanks for that too. Okay, there seems to be some confusion about the time lapse and why I&K's children didn't survive. One, I split the story into three parts so that I could skip centuries without losing the pace or integrity of the story. And two, the children were supposed to age like the rest of the clan but the ceremony that was too ensure that got interrupted and couldn't be repeated. Since the children were mostly human, they lived for only about three hundred years._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 18_

Azami leaned back and watched her twins learn from their father. There was a marked difference in the way Sesshoumaru was teaching his children than when he'd tried to teach his brother. There were no harsh words and none of the abuse that marked the brothers' interactions when Inuyasha was young.

"Papa, this is too hard." Yuki pouted, leaning against her wooden sword. Her brother smirked behind her, not even breathing hard.

"What's the matter, imouto, too weak to learn the basics?"

"Shut up, Shiro. I'm not weak."

"Girls shouldn't try to learn stuff they're incapable of learning," her brother retorted only to realize too late that his mother was watching the entire scene. His father held back a growl of reprimand when Azami pointed her sword at her son's throat.

"Do you want to try that statement again, young man?"

"Ah, most girls?" he questioned. When the sword didn't move, he caved. "All right, girls are capable of learning anything boys can."

"Indeed. Yuki, you are to cease complaining. A half demon of the Taisho bloodline will not tire out from a few simple exercises. You are to repeat those katas until they are perfect. Shiro, you will apologize to your mother. It took her decades to perfect the katana, but she is vastly superior to many soldiers in the emperor's army."

"She would be, being over five hundred years old."

"Shiroken Taisho, you never mention a lady's age." Azami removed the sword and came to stand directly in front of him. "If your attitude does not improve, you will not be going with your friends on that hunting trip. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Okaa-sama." The crown prince scowled but didn't talk back to his mother or insult her further. She was still quite able and willing to tan his hide if he took one step out of line again. "I'm sorry. I only meant to tease Yuki. She's always complaining about how hard practice is."

"Keh, this kind of practice is nothing compared to the way your father used to teach me." Inuyasha leaned against the doorway of the dojo, frowning at his nephew. "Be glad that he doesn't try the 'fight or die' method on you."

"Yes, Inuyasha-ojisama." The half demon prince sulked but went back to his practicing. Yuki smiled brilliantly at her uncle until she noticed that his frown was including her.

"Oji-sama?"

"If you do not learn properly, others will call you weak and try to kill you. We are not always going to be able to protect you, Yuki. One of these days you are going to need to defend yourself. It is impossible for you to be with one of us all the time."

"Yes, sir."

"This goes double for your human nights. Your Fae powers are not strong enough to keep a powerful demon away from you without proper training. Combining the energy with a sword attack is the best way to defend yourself should the occasion arise."

Sesshoumaru allowed Inuyasha to lecture his pups, knowing that as a half demon he would get through to them better than if he did it as their father and a full demon. Azami smiled at him over their heads, relieved to have the brewing mutiny stemmed before it became a full blown rebellion. Satsuki had once told Sesshoumaru that she thought this generation would be more difficult than theirs and of that the lady had no doubt.

"Inuyasha," the demon lord said, catching his brother's attention. "Is there some reason you interrupted us?"

"I discussed what we were talking about before with Kagome. We're going to go home and then once the shrine is protected, find some other place to live for a few decades. At least until all of our faces have been forgotten. It might be necessary to limit contact with the rest of the clan for a while. Kagome's trying to remember her history lessons so we don't inadvertently change the timeline."

"Understood. Let me know what you decide."

"Of course. Later, nee-san, aniki." The hanyou waved good-bye and left the small family to their duties.

"Kirara's not going to like the necessity of us isolating ourselves from one another. It's becoming difficult for her kittens to fly openly. We may have to stick to letters to keep in touch."

"Yes," the taiyoukai said. He dreaded more paperwork but it was looking like was going to become imperative. Turning back to his children, he narrowed his eyes. "Begin again."

"But, Papa…"

"Again, Yukitenshi." The young princess flinched as her full name came out of her father's mouth.

"Yes, Papa." Mentally she griped that Rin had never had to go through this kind of torture although if she'd asked her elder sister, she would have found out otherwise. The only difference had been that Rin had had Inuyasha for a sword master and several other teachers on top of that.

Azami gave her husband and mate a brief kiss on his striped cheek before cheerfully leaving him to his teaching. She returned to her own study, pulling out paper and brush to write to her eldest about the changing political climate between them and the humans. The lady also wanted to think about ways to find trustworthy humans to join an alliance in order to maintain peace between the races. Kagome had already warned them that soon the nobility would be abolished from Japan and the emperor would become more of a figure head than an actual authority. By the time the twentieth century arrived, they would have to have strong allies in the human government. They would also have to amass a great deal of wealth between then and now so that their power in the business world would have nothing to fear from someone trying to overthrow them.

Perhaps it was a good thing the Taisho clan was so large and diverse. With humans and non-blood related half-demons in it, they could own several businesses without people realizing that the clan actually had a monopoly over certain areas. If most humans were unaware of their connection to each other, it wouldn't bring into question how that much wealth was created or why certain vast stretches of land became owned and remained undeveloped. The Kazaana Temple and Higurashi Shrine would remain untouched and preserved in Feudal Era conditions.

"Azami-sama, your bath is ready." Anna, her loyal maid tapped on the door frame but didn't enter the room.

"Thank you, Anna. I was just thinking that there's nothing like a hot bath. Won't it be wonderful when we can simply draw hot water right from pipes and no one will have to heat the water or pour it from buckets?"

"I live for the day," the dog demoness said, not entirely without feeling. The large bath in the chambers Azami shared with Sesshoumaru were a pain to fill and an even bigger bother to keep heated for the length of time it took both to complete their baths. Sometimes that time became even longer if they decided to bathe together but Anna tried not to think about that.

"Perhaps that will be one of the first improvements we'll make to the castle. Along with centralized heating. It would save so much work for the staff." Azami rose and followed the maid out into the corridor. Hisana must have sensed change in the wind because she appeared in front of the two younger women almost immediately.

"What are you planning to do to my beautiful castle?"

"When it becomes available, I thought about installing indoor plumbing and centralized heating. Just think, Hisana-okaasama. You wouldn't have to wait for someone to heat water for a bath if you wanted to take one." The idea appealed to her sense of vanity and the matriarch went away without complaint.

"You've really learned how to manipulate her, Lady Azami."

"Of course, I am the Lady of Youkai Japan. It's my duty to be able to understand how my people think. Some demons are easy enough to understand."

"Lady Hisana being one of them?"

"Of course; she's not completely selfish but most of the time there is only one thing that she's concerned about."

"Her comfort."

"Exactly." The two friends shared a grin and continued on in silence. Many things had changed over the centuries of Azami becoming Sesshoumaru's mate, but her mother-in-law's need to focus on herself was not one of them.


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: Some people to thank for reviewing the last chapter: __**HeatherLee**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Victoria Pendragon**__, __**Puppylove7**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**ScarletCamellia**__, and __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__. And thank you to those of you who've added this or its author to your lists. Two names that haven't been mentioned before appear in this chapter. __**Kenji**__ I've seen meaning "second son" and __**Hana**__ means "flower." _

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 19_

Another year passed before the Taiyoukai of Japan was able to put together a Council of Humans and Demons. The shogunate and emperor were divided on the issue but the Taisho clan had made enough allies over the years that they didn't need to fear having war declared by either factions of the government. A high ranking official had been appointed as the liaison between the two governments and would ensure that if any traitor needed dealing with, some law enforcement officer wouldn't believe it to be a murder instead of an execution.

While those appointed to the council were mostly Taishos to begin with, little by little, they were able to find trustworthy humans and demons outside the clan to sit on the panel. Laws were created to ensure that neither race was unfairly accused or prosecuted because of the actions of the other.

Hano and Satsuki were the two elder dog demons to sit first on the council, Kirara being the only nekomata and feline representative available at the time. Hisana was put out that she hadn't been chosen but it had been pointed out bluntly to her that her not-quite-logical way of thinking would make it hard for others to agree with her opinions.

Rin and Kohaku's children volunteered for the duty but they were denied the opportunity by their grandfather when the time came. Kohaku was put on the panel, having passed the duties of head slayer on to his oldest son the year before. Rin left the slayers' village to reside in the castle, the nearby villages developing enough so that her continued presence when visiting other markets would get remarked upon.

Having isolated themselves from human society, Shippou and some of his classmates from his time at the kitsune exams were put in charge of creating charms that would hide the youkai features that gave away their identities. Inuyasha was the first one to receive a charm, the illusion spell placed on his clan ring. As a first effort it wasn't bad but the adopted son did walk around with a bump on his head for a few hours after he not-so-accidentally made his father have green hair. It would have gone unnoticed had Rin's daughter Aiko not pointed it out. She didn't have spiritual powers so she was put in charge of making sure the charms worked. A growl from her clan elder told her it wasn't funny when she pointed out the "mistake."

The decades passed in such a fashion, the human culture Westernized when the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry occurred. Youkai society clung tightly to the old ways and their government didn't break apart like the human's did with the war that herald the Meiji Era and its restoration several years after another conflict. Corruption was not allowed and traitors were dealt with harshly.

It was during the nineteenth century that Sesshoumaru became serious about securing land under different names and spreading out the responsibilities to his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The Kazaana Temple was now protected by two hundred acres on either side so that there were no close neighbors to notice when the priest didn't age as he should have. Miroku took in students, some becoming trusted retainers of the Taishos and royal youkai house so they were often the ones sent out into the world on behalf of their teacher.

The Higurashi Shrine was in safe hands with Kagome's ancestors and they made sure that she kept far away from the beloved spot in what was now Tokyo. The family had an anonymous benefactor that helped them through tough times and made sure the human government secured the spot as a historical treasure. The slayers' village was expanded but still remained secluded for the most part. People taken there were handpicked by Kohaku and Rin to become slayers or they were half demons sent to the couple by the other members of the clan to have a safe place to live and grow.

Kagome found that although her spiritual powers often came in handy, she was being relied on mostly to provide accurate information on events that could hurt them or advance their cause with the human government. When it came to investing, she was careful about how much money she would allow them to invest, saying that too much and they could be perceived as having inside information on how well the product or resource would do in the future. Since that was very well the case, Sesshoumaru followed her edict even though he was loath to miss the chance to make money.

All throughout the changing times, the children still alive grew and flourished while the elders ensured that they were safe. Kirara watched the Clan Ceremonies in her humanoid form, making sure that all those who wished to join could do so without worrying that it would be interrupted and they'd be unable to live long lives with their families. Some chose not to join the clan in such a way but they were never left without the love and protection the Taishos and Kirara could provide. There were even a few who left Japan altogether, and Kirara compensated by sending a kitten with each of them, since now she had several to spread out as watch cats.

As she stood on the docks, the latest Taisho clan child readying himself to leave, Kirara handed him the carrier that held her kitten. Both young children pouted at her, each resenting her interference. The nekomata kitten didn't want to be leaving her mother and the human child didn't want to drag a youkai to the other side of the world just because she said so.

"Kenji, you will take my kitten along for protection. You may want to distance yourself from us, but we do not want you to be without someone to watch your back. You have grown up in a society that values the clan and pack. At least have the decency to respect your elders and obey them in this. There is no telling what awaits you in the United States."

"Kirara-obasama, I will be fine. If someone were to discover she's not a regular cat, then there'd be trouble." Kenji, a grandchild of Rin and Kohaku's gazed at the ruby eyes of the elder in front of him. They were narrowed in anger and he could hear the low growl she was emitting.

"After what happened to your cousins, you expect me to sit idly by and allow someone precious to go without doing all that I can to protect them? How dare you presume that I would be so neglectful?"

Bowing low in apology, he capitulated readily. Like the others that had left the fold, he knew the sense of failure that still haunted the nekomata because she hadn't been able to protect the children that hadn't been able to properly join the clan and those that had never known the clan's protection because of what their fathers had done to their mothers' family.

"I will take Hana and go with pride in my family. I just need to make my own way."

"I understand. We want only your happiness but do not forget to write. Your mother will worry until she knows that you are safe."

"Yes, ma'am." He waited only until she was through giving last minute instructions to Hana before boarding. Kirara watched as the large ship left the harbor, then turned away sighing. The advances in technology were making the world seem smaller yet her job keeping the Taisho clan safe seemed to be getting larger. It would be no time at all before the Higurashi family became a part of that.

Being a nekomata guardian was more difficult that she had first thought. Why had she ever agreed to take on the position? "Dumb dog general," she hissed and had the people around her give her odd looks. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's father had really put her in a bind. She hoped that wherever he was he was getting his just desserts for putting her in charge of his large family. It would serve him right to be reincarnated into a cat.


	20. Chapter 20: Transition

_A/N: Thanks to: __**butterfly here i come**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**Victoria Pendragon**__, and __**ScarletCamellia**__, for their reviews. Here's a long chapter that'll transition into the last part of the story. I hope you enjoy._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 20: Transition_

Sesshoumaru gazed out over the city that had become the largest and most important in the country. He could smell the acrid stench rising from the blacktop and turned in disgust at the mass of humanity covering the city streets. His wife and mate sat in the nearby chair working on some sort of needlepoint or embroidery. The dog demon had never been able to figure out where or why she had come to like the exercise of putting needle through a piece of fabric to make a picture. Considering that she had had the opportunity to do that for the last several hundred years while she sewed, he rather thought that it was a pointless task.

As the Taisho clan had moved through the ages to what was now the twentieth century, they had built an empire that no human could touch. The demon emperor had indeed succeeded in his self-appointed task and now his wars were almost exclusively in the boardroom. He had been adamant in staying out of the wars created by the humans when their closeness had backfired into a greed for land previously not theirs. Not that that was a new problem but since transportation and exploration had increased and become easier, people had wanted things that they should have been content without.

"Sesshou, if you hate the city so much, why do you insist we live here?"

"I must establish a connection with the new government. This post-World War II group is not as open as the others to working with us. There have been threats lately to do away with us. They fear what they don't understand."

"That is nothing new, anata."

"Today's humans tried to take over the world. If I had been in charge, I would have never sided with that mass murderer."

Azami smiled, pursing her lips in an effort to not laugh. "My love, some would say you are no different. You have killed many. Quite possibly more than Hitler ever did."

"Not over religion. Or because others' hair and eyes did not match a certain criteria."

"No, but those weren't Hitler's only objections. Race and culture also played a part. As well as political leanings. There was a time when you hated those who were not youkai."

"Hn, but I did not wage a war to exterminate humans and half demons alike."

"This is true. You just would have killed any that got in your way."

"I often wondered if Hitler was Naraku reborn."

"I do not think so, Sesshou. His soul was purified. If the one who became Naraku was ever reborn, I don't think he was born as a human." Rising, she slipped her arms around the demon king and looked out over the city. "We've come far, my darling."

"Yes. Our numbers have decreased but we are still strong. Lady Kirara has started to gather the clan together so that we can prepare for Kagome's birth. Unfortunately I have quite lost track of all of my grandchildren."

"You've been busy." She nuzzled his arm, and leaned into him. "Have you heard from Rin and Kohaku lately?"

"They are still residing in a remote part of Canada. They did not want to be accused of aiding the human government in their war." Sesshoumaru sighed, missing his eldest. Rin had taught him the value of human life and it was because of her that he had eventually been able to love his mate again.

"Then we will no doubt see them shortly." Azami's eyes clouded over. "So much destruction. This era is filled with those who are hurting. It's hard to imagine the world Kagome has reassured us comes from this."

"Indeed."

* * *

Kagome stood looking out over the field that joined the dojo to the Kazaana Temple. The waterfall that Miroku often sat under pounded over the cliff, allowing her to become lost in her thoughts. Inuyasha and Shippou were busy teaching students in the rooms below, trying to instill a sense of honor and acceptance into the young men that studied under them. She didn't want what had happened during the war to ever come about again although she knew this country and its allies were not done fighting. There would be plenty of times over the years that some country or another would invade its neighbor and a third would ultimately try to interfere with the "best of intentions."

Whenever she voiced such thoughts, Inuyasha would scoff and say that it was in the nature of humans to want what wasn't theirs. Then he would hug her and tell her that her miko's heart was too soft, even after hundreds of years. The priestess could only agree and hope that someday while they were still alive, peace would reign over the earth where no one fought at all.

"Okaa-san, Oyaji is looking for you." Shippou stood in the doorway to the living room of the apartment that they had over the dojo and smiled at the miko who had saved him all those years ago. Looking hardly older than she had when he'd first met her, Kagome hadn't changed much in personality despite all that she had seen and done.

"He wants ramen for lunch, doesn't he?" Ramen had come out during the war as a cheap and easy meal for those who couldn't afford more expensive food. Out of all of the stocks that the couple had, those shares counted for the majority.

"You got it. That's not a bad idea, as we have that new class coming in."

"And you can't manage to make it yourselves? I didn't know that putting on a pot of water to boil was that difficult." Giving her son an ironic look, Kagome moved to the kitchen. His emerald eyes became sheepish and he followed her.

"Well, you remember what happened the last time. This stove is a little tricky."

"Of course it is," she agreed, eyeing the appliance. When the wood stove had been installed, it had taken Kagome a few days to get the hang of it. Shippou unfortunately wasn't as lucky. He might hold degrees in a variety of subjects but cooking would never be one of them.

"I would have done it myself," the kitsune defended, watching as she began lunch. "I just didn't think you'd want me to ruin another pot."

"That was a smart decision. Where is your father?"

"Keh, miss me already? I've only been gone a few hours." The half demon wandered in, drying his hair with a towel. His hakama and kosode were a matching green, the favored Fire Rat tucked carefully away in his closet.

"You know the answer to that," Kagome chided, accepting his kiss before concentrating on what she was cooking. Shippou made a slight gagging noise although he was used to the affectionate displays of his adoptive parents. The young fox demon was old enough to have a mate of his own but since he was the only child Kagome still had, he wasn't ready to leave the nest. She and Sango had suffered the loss of their children deeply and had focused the not-inconsiderable amount of maternal attention and affection that they had on him. Rin and Kohaku's children and descendants had provided an outlet until most had moved away, died or just petered out in terms of reproducing more generations. Now only a handful remained and since he was the closest, he got the brunt of their meddling.

Sometimes he minded a great deal and he would often go off to have time to himself. His father and uncle would understand that he needed that time but they also knew that he would always return. And if he didn't do so in a timely manner; Kirara would show up to drag him back whether he wanted to or not. On the last memorable occasion, she had actually transformed into her saber toothed form and picked him up in her jaws. They had made an interesting picture flying through the sky with him daggling a few hundred feet up in the air as they made their way to the castle.

"Shippou?" Kagome questioned, seeing the faraway look in his eyes.

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

"I thought I smelled smoke," Inuyasha said, only to dodge an acorn that was thrown his way.

"No powers in the house," the miko scolded.

"He started it," Shippou complained, another of his fox magic acorns in his hand.

"Do you want to be grounded, mister?" his mother asked, the pot of precious cooked ramen hanging over the drainer. If they angered her, she was just as likely to dump it down the drain as she was to serve it to them.

"No, ma'am," he quickly answered, the acorn disappearing.

"And Inuyasha," she began at the dog demon. "Lady Kaede'a kotodama rosary may have stopped working ages ago but that doesn't mean I can't make another."

"Keh," was his only reply, knowing the threat wasn't empty.

"Men," she sighed but the complaint was filled with love.

* * *

Sango swept the floors of the temple, Miroku and some of his students cleaning the inside of the building behind and around her. The demon slayer had forgotten how many groups of young men had passed through the doors of the temple her husband had been raised in. Several had been sent out into the world to become travelers as Miroku had been and still more had been put in positions of political and economic influence as retainers of the Taisho clan. Those trusted few had been placed so that they could watch over the interactions between humans and those youkai who had decided to live side by side with the other race without anyone knowing.

"Kazaana-san, your broom has lost most of its bristles," one student pointed out, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Sango looked down to see that he was right and chuckled.

"Well, it has been a good broom; I suppose that it's all right for it to die."

"Isn't it pretty old, Kazaana-san? You've had it for at least as long as I've been here," another student said from the courtyard, an equaly old broom in his young hands.

"Yes," she said and noticed her husband's amused violet gaze behind the first young man. "Is something funny, Houshi-sama?" she asked repressively.

"No ma'am," Miroku answered even though there was laughter in his voice. "I merely came to inquire about lunch. I'd make it myself but…"

"Please no, Kazaana-sama!" his students chorused. The last time he had tried to take over the kitchen duties, a fire had nearly destroyed the room. Miroku had learned that he wasn't equipped to make food indoors. He did all right camping but that was perhaps because an open flame was easier to control then one he couldn't see.

"I'll go put the soup on," Sango laughed, laying the broom up against the railing. "Do you suppose that by the time we reach the modern era you could at least learn how to boil water without ruining the kettle?"

"I can only try, my dear," the houshi answered, following her to the kitchen.

Sango didn't have much faith that he'd be able to learn that.

* * *

Rin packed the last of her suitcases, looking around the bedroom that she'd shared with Kohaku for the last fifty years. Her husband was outside, making sure that the truck they'd hired to take their things to the airport didn't break anything of value. Kirara had arrived the week before telling them that it was finally time to return to the clan's fold. She had missed her family, the children and grandchildren she'd had over the last two hundred years spread far and wide. The latest group had not even wanted anything to do with the large Japanese clan that had saved her and raised her and Kohaku. A part of her was afraid that they either feared or hated her because of what her adoptive father was.

"Rin, it's time, my dear. The kittens are impatient to go home with their mother." When she and Kohaku had moved to Canada, Kirara had sent two of her eldest with them so that they had someone trustworthy watching their backs. Every time she looked at the kittens, Rin couldn't help but wonder what they would be doing if they hadn't had to babysit them.

"I'm coming. Kohaku, do you think our children will be glad to see us?"

"Of course. Our great-grandchildren might not want anything to do with us, but that doesn't mean Aiko and the boys don't. I left Daichi in charge of the slayers' academy, didn't I? He would have said something if he didn't want to be the headmaster."

"True, if it's one thing our children aren't shy about, it's voicing their opinions."

"I believe that would have something to do with the fact that Inuyasha-sama was a large influence in their formative years." The elder Taisho princess laughed, knowing he was right. Their children had gotten quite a few personality traits from the dog demon brothers that were quite at odds with their parents'.

"You're right," Rin giggled and had the pleasure of seeing Kohaku smile at the sound. It had taken him years to laugh freely after what had happened during the Quest but now there was hardly a trace of the guilt ridden boy he used to be.

"Of course I am," he said and she had a feeling their children weren't the only ones influenced by arrogant demon lords.

* * *

Hisana sat across from Kellan, a chess board between them and tea at their elbows. Over the centuries they hadn't become any closer than when they'd first met but they no longer physically fought with each other. Currently their battles took place on the game board, Chess a fitting medium for them. Both were dominant in their abilities and neither liked to play with someone other than an equal in skill.

A reason they often found each other as opponents. Presently they were in the middle of a game when the only remaining dog demon elder entered the room. Hano, not as old as Satsuki had been, sat down in a chair at their elbows and studied the board. "Prefer _Go_ myself," he commented, sipping from his own tea cup.

"Hano-sama, is there something you needed?" Kellan asked, moving one of her knights.

"Nope, just came to get away from the traffic out in the halls. I can understand Sesshoumaru wanting to gather everyone together but this is a bit much, don't you think? The castle has become a center of chaos." He studied the board, looking for an opening in the Fae queen's defense. There wasn't any.

"It would seem," Hisana said, "That your age has something to do with your preference. Old dogs prefer to be left alone."

"I can't argue with you there," the man said, watching in some amusement as the Lady Mother lost her bishop.

"Has Kirara returned with Rin and Kohaku?" the queen asked, mentally cringing when her last pawn was taken off of the board.

"They're due to arrive later this evening. How much longer do we have before Kagome-chan is supposed to be born?"

"Well, it's currently 1949. I believe she said she was born in 1982. That would make it just shy of forty years."

"Things are coming full circle. It's going to be hard not to interfere during her fifteenth year."

"Yes," the two women answered and ignored the elder for the rest of the game.

* * *

Kirara sighed and sat at her desk in a room secluded from the rest of the castle. In front of her was a list of the clan members, official or not, and all those that they had extended protection over. Another list had her kittens on it and those that they'd been assigned to watch over. Over the last five centuries she'd had a total of twenty kittens and each one of them was shaping up to be a fine guardian and companion.

Going over the list, she frowned, the names of those she had recently spoken to not matching up to those out of her direct sight at the moment. Who was she missing? Rechecking, she groaned as she realized her youngest had gone in search of his father. The nekomata that had sired all of her children was not one to be a hands-on parent and she had never asked him to become a part of their lives, nor had she ever asked that he take part in her guardian duties.

Lost in thought, she could easily picture the deep blue eyes that had caught her interest the first time she's seen him nearly six hundred years ago. A complaint from one of her missing son's litter mates brought her back to the present and she smiled. "You remind me of him," she said, rising to feed them. The kitten blinked back at her, her coat the purest black and her blue eyes identical to her father's. "Let's just hope that you take after me."

Once again left alone with her memories, Kirara wondered if the duties of a nekomata guardian would ever allow for a true romance instead of just the satisfied needs of a mating season. Maybe when the timeline had come full circle and the clan was "reunited" with the Higurashi family, she could take time out for herself.


	21. Part Three: Modern Japan: Chapter 21

_A/N: A quick update so not many reviews. Thank you, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Puppylove7**__, __**Taraah36**__, and __**ScarletCamellia**__._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Part Three: "Modern" Japan_

_Ch. 21_

Yuki stood to one side as her aunt rushed around the room trying to pack everything that she could conceive of needing for the eighteen year-long visit to the land of the Fae. She herself had gone as a child and hadn't found it lacking in anything. "Kagome-obasan, you have to get going. Mother isn't going to be happy that you're late."

"I just have to get the last little bit of my clothing."

"Great-Grandmother has plenty of clothes you can borrow. And there are several shops to go visit if you want something of your own." The purple eyed half demon yawned, bored to her toes about the whole thing. Since that morning her aunt and uncle had been hurried along so that the miko would not be in the human world when night came. Supposedly this was the day she would be conceived and Yuki's mother was convinced that Kagome couldn't exist twice in the same dimension without serious cosmic implications.

Kagome sighed, wondering when Yuki had turned into a jaded young lady. Her brother was shaping up to be a fine young man but the second princess was acting as if her family was not high on her list of important things. Perhaps that was because for the first time since she was born, she was not going to be the youngest. Azami was expecting a little boy in the fall and everyone was making a big deal over it since he would be the first child of youkai blood born in centuries.

"Yuki-chan," Kagome said now, hooking the clasp on her suitcase. She put it by the door of her bedroom for Inuyasha to take when he came to get her, which he would any minute. "I do not like your attitude. If you think by acting like a spoiled brat or a jade that you're going to get the attention of your parents solely focused on you again, you're wrong. The only thing it's going to get you is grounded and a punishment that you're not going to like. Azami and Sesshoumaru have been waiting literally centuries to have another child."

"Humph. I'm not like nee-sama. I don't have to _like_ getting another brother."

"It's true that you and Rin are very different children. You are however acting just like your father did when Inuyasha was going to be born. It's time to act your age. The baby is going to look up to you and respect you. He'll look to you for protection and guidance. It is the responsibility of an older sibling to look out for younger ones. Both Sango and I have always known this and your father came to understand it as well." Kagome's face clouded over briefly. She was so close and yet so far from her brother at that moment. Souta wouldn't be born for nearly eleven more years.

"You miss your brother."

"Yes, I often called him a pest but when I realized that I might never see him again, I vowed to stop. Oh, he still teased me and I teased back, that's what siblings do. But if push came to shove, and on one memorable occasion it did, or rather will, I'd protect him with my life. There is no greater asset then family."

Yuki caught the scent of Kagome's tears. Her uncle would not be happy. "I understand."

"Good. You know, most kids are a little jealous of a new baby."

"I'm not jealous." Not anymore, Yuki added silently. Her aunt gave her a knowing look just as Inuyasha barged into the room.

"Let's go, wench. You're always late. I should have known you'd be late for your own conception. I guess you're just lucky your parents got caught in traffic on the way to their honeymoon retreat or you'd be in big trouble. Nee-san's biting her nails waiting for us to leave." The half dog demon picked up the suitcase, grunting in mock effort. "Shades of the yellow backpack." With his free hand he grabbed a hold of Kagome's arm and dragged her out of the room.

The rest of the inutachi and Taisho pack were waiting for them at the entrance of a portal Kellan had opened for the couple. They would spend the next eighteen years in the land of the faeries until they were sure that high school Kagome was in the Feudal Era for good. Then they would return and begin building a life for themselves in order to one day return to the Higurashi Shrine. Kagome had every intention of taking over the duties of a priestess unless her brother ended up wanting to do it.

"Don't worry about a thing, Kagome, we'll be all right. I'll watch Shippou to make sure he doesn't get into trouble," Sango reassured the sister of her heart.

"Aunt Sango!" the kitsune protested.

"I know. Shippou, I trust you to take care of the dojo and help Sesshoumaru look out for my family. And don't forget to obey your aunts."

"Just his aunts?" Miroku questioned.

"And Kirara," the miko added, giving the monk and demon king a significant look. "Don't get into trouble."

"Yeah, yeah," the fox soothed, waving a clawed hand at his mother so that she would get going. "I understand."

"Kagome, dear, you really must be going."

"I feel like I'm forgetting something," she said as Inuyasha pushed her through the portal.

"It couldn't be that important. If it is, you'll remember it later and can send word via Kellan's messengers." The half demon escorted her through the halls of the faerie castle and to their rooms.

"Oh, I know! I forgot to tell Shippou not to plot with Sesshoumaru to send you to school."

* * *

Back in the human world, Shippou grinned, his fangs glistening in the evening light. His cousins gave him a questioning look as they wandered into the dining room for dinner. "Shippou?"

"I have a wonderful surprise for them while the Quest is going on."

"You're plotting some mischief," Yuki accused.

"When isn't he?" Shiro questioned and then gave a grin of his own. "Can I help?"

"Of course, my dear cousin, of course."

"Help with what?" Azami asked suspiciously, recognizing the looks her son and cousin had given Yuki. Angelic as they tried to be, smirking with fangs and supernaturally gleaming eyes gave away the fact that they were about to make trouble.

"Ship—" Yuki started but had her mouth covered by her twin.

"I volunteered to help Shippou with a project," Shiro interjected.

"Oh, well aren't you sweet." Azami pretended to be satisfied before turning away and searching out her husband. Sesshoumaru sat at the head of the table, his attention on something other than his family. "Anata," she crooned meaningfully. When he looked at her, a brow raised in inquiry, she leveled a glare on him. "Your son and nephew are up to something."

"That is nothing new," he returned, apparently missing her point.

"If they do anything to upset the balance, I will hold you personally responsible."

"As you wish, koneko."

* * *

Alone in her room, Kirara was laying back on the bed, contemplating the ceiling. Kagome and Inuyasha were safely in the faerie realm under Kellan's protection so she didn't have to worry about those two for the moment. Her phone rang and picking it up, she answered without thought of who would be on the other end.

"Kirara, you should really come get your son." The velvety voice of her occasional mate was laced heavily with irritation.

"I have my hands full at the moment. Don't tell me that one little nekomata is too much for you. You could always bring him back."

"The day I step foot willingly into the house of the dog demon Sesshoumaru will be the day hell freezes over."

"It's your choice, either bring him home or put up with him."

"Why did you agree to become their guardian?" the black nekomata demanded. She could readily imagine his blue eyes glittering in anger.

"Other than the fact that the Inutaisho tricked me in the first place? I love these children. Their destinies handed them heavy burdens and they need someone to look out for them."

"All by yourself?" came the question.

"You could always help," Kirara suggested and a loud snort of disgust was her answer.

"Like I said, when hell freezes over." The male fire cat hung up, leaving Kirara to stare at the ceiling once more.

"Men," she spat before closing her eyes.

She needed a nap.


	22. Chapter 22

_A/N: Thank you to the following for their reviews: __**HeatherLee**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**VictoriaPendragon**__, __**Puppylove7**__, __**ScarletCamellia**__, and __**Taraah36**__._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 22_

Kirara climbed the steps of the Higurashi Shrine and made her way to the bench beneath the Goshinboku and sat down. Tilting her head back she gazed up into the branches, noticing that the sakura tree was not blooming. Smiling ironically at the twists in Time, she listened as the young girl of the shrine burst out of the house and ran to the edge of the stairs, waiting for her mother to catch up to her. The nekomata reached with her senses and found nothing to suggest that the girl would one day be the most powerful miko in Japan. The Shikon no Tama had certainly done a number on the spiritual powers as had Kikyo's desire for her reincarnation to have a normal life.

Once the pair was away from the shrine, Kirara made a patrol of the grounds, ensuring that nothing had trespassed. Satisfied, she returned to her apartment in the thick of the city. The nekomata settled into her own work, amused that she had chosen the profession of matchmaker for her latest job. It was nothing short of what she had been doing for centuries. A knock on the door interrupted her musings and she glanced up to find Shippou in the archway.

"What is the matter, cub?"

"Keh, did you see her?" Shippou had been forbidden to go to the shrine until otherwise told. His elders feared that he would make some slip in his desire to see the mother he'd been separated from for five years.

"I saw her. She's currently a happy little girl."

"So her dad hasn't died yet."

"No, you know that. I thought you would be using this time to spread your wings."

"I was going to, but it feels very odd not to have Kagome-okaasan around and Oyaji too. For so long they've just been _there_, you know?"

"Yes," she said. Although she knew they were perfectly safe in the faerie realm, she too worried about them and felt their absence. Letters back and forth didn't seem to make up for the loss. The kitsune she had helped raise came into the room, settling on the floor near her chair. With loving affection, she stroked his auburn hair, hearing the rumbling in his chest that told her it was what he needed.

"Kirara, do you ever get lonely? Don't you ever want a mate of your own?"

"I have a mate," she answered in amusement. "Nekomatas just don't get pregnant, you know. Granted he's not the best mate and he's not a permanent one like your father and uncle is to your mother and aunt but we've been loyal to each other since the beginning."

"Then how come, even after centuries, we've never met him?" Emerald eyes glanced up at her, wanting an explanation.

"He hates dogs."

"Trust you to love someone who is totally opposed to the rest of your family."

"Well, one has to be difficult to look after others who are equally difficult," she retorted. "Now, what brings you here? I would think that you'd have a class at the dojo to teach."

"Shiro's covering for me today. I needed to come and be near the shrine and Mother. Even if she is a child at the moment." The fox demon sighed, glancing around the room. "You've matched a lot of couples," he commented, seeing the display of wedding pictures.

"I have," she agreed. "Well, since you're here, you can take me to lunch." Gently pushing him away, Kirara rose, pulling the kitsune to his feet when she was on her own.

"You want me to take you to lunch?" Wary, Shippou searched his back pocket for his wallet. His nekomata guardian tended to be an expensive date. "Where to?"

"Why don't we go to Shiori's little café? I haven't been there since she opened up. Azami has nothing but good things to say about the place. And since it's so close to Taisho Enterprises, you have no excuse not stop in and check on things for your father."

Jeweled eyes closed in resignation. He should have known that there would be an ulterior motive for her choosing that particular spot. "Sure," he caved, holding her jacket for her. Using the manners that Kagome, Sango and Kirara had drilled into him, Shippou took his "aunt" to lunch and did as he was told. The next time he got the urge to visit, he'd remember her tendency to arrange things to her liking.

* * *

Blue eyes glittered with irritation as clawed hands set the phone in its cradle. Black hair fell over half of a handsome face as Daichi Higurashi's boss rose to deliver bad news to his wife. He might not have involved himself to the extent that Kirara did protecting the shrine family, but the fire nekomata named Arashi had been doing what he could. Now he had to go deliver bad news to an expecting mother and he didn't like it. It was Kirara's fault for pricking at his conscience until he did something proactive.

Sometimes females were more trouble than they were worth.

* * *

Sesshoumaru stood at the bottom of the steps as the Higurashi family held a funeral for their beloved son, husband, and father. He could hear the tears of little Kagome and it broke his heart to know that she had been in such pain. In all the time that he had known her, she had never once spoken of her father's death with the same grief that the rest of Inuyasha's pack had. Perhaps in the large scheme of things, a car accident wasn't as terrible as being murdered by a demon even though both had left children to struggle on their own. Or maybe it was because Kagome had had the loving support of her family whereas the others had either only vague impressions or terrible eye-witness accounts of how their fathers had died to get them through the grief.

"Anata, let us go. You know that we cannot interfere with things. Like you, my heart bleeds but you knew all along that this was going to happen. Arashi-san has done what he can for them."

"Arashi? I do not know this man."

"No, we've never met him but he's Kirara's mate."

"Hn, a nekomata who cannot support his mate in her duty."

"He's been exceptionally cooperative lately. Didn't he give Higurashi-san a job so that they would be well cared for?" Azami smiled, knowing that the demon emperor didn't understand the workings of a nekomata mateship. The fact that they were not side by side often puzzled the dog demon.

"Lady Kirara is amazing loyal to him. Even when she wishes to wring his neck."

"Perhaps she has other ways of getting him to do her bidding. It must be quite the feat since he's made no bones about the fact that he hates dogs." Turning to the car, she opened the door to get in. "Let us go home and tell the others. This is a defining moment in Kagome's young life. Things will move quickly from now on."

Giving the _torii _gate one last look, Sesshoumaru climbed in on the opposite side and waited for the driver to take them back to their penthouse. The rest of the pack was waiting for them when they got there and they didn't need to hear the words to realize what had happened.

"And so it begins," Miroku murmured, saying a prayer for the child version of his little sister and her family.

"Uncle," Yuki said; her purple eyes grave. "It started the night she was born."

"Ah, yes, well, that is true. It won't be long now."

"No," Shippou agreed and couldn't help the rise of anxiety in his chest even though he knew how everything would turn out. "Not long, and yet not over soon enough either."


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N: Super quick update so only __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__ and __**Taraah36**__ have reviewed so far, thanks for that. Anyway, there are a few boys' names that I'd like to put the meanings to. Last chapter you read about Daichi (great wisdom) and Arashi (storm). Here you're introduced to that little brother of Yuki and Shiro's, Akiyo (white world)._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 23_

The day fifteen year old Kagome Higurashi was pulled down the well by the centipede demon, several other demons took up position around the shrine in order to protect the rest of the household. Green eyes glittered with menace at the multi-armed youkai as she yanked his mother into the Feudal Era. A large striped hand had to hold him in place when she cried out so that Shippou didn't inadvertently go to the rescue and mess up the timeline. Keeping out of sight, Sesshoumaru, Kirara, Shiro and Shippou watched as Souta tried to convince his mother and grandfather that a monster had taken his sister down the well.

As of that moment, there was someone watching the shrine twenty-four hours a day. Daily reports came across the demon king's desk and no matter what he was doing, the instant he received them, he stopped to read them. Several times he brought them home to share and the others often got a laugh about things that had happened to the Feudal Era version of Inuyasha when he visited the present day.

It was most often Miroku who cracked up, remembering the times when Kagome would come back to Lady Kaede's ranting about something the half demon had accidently destroyed because he'd used too much strength or didn't understand how things worked.

Of course, Sango would often get out the little used Hiraikotsu and reacquaint her husband's head with the bone boomerang. Shippou was often present for those moments, living nearby as he did at the dojo. Snickering, he'd make mental notes to tease his adoptive father about them again when he returned to the human realm.

The incident with the Noh Mask had Kirara in a snit, wanting to know how they could possibly have missed that shard in the Feudal Era and why it had continued to elude them to the present. None of the demon operatives that were unfortunate enough to stand before her had any answers, and that went double for the humans who worked for the clan. She made it a point to personally take out any low level demon dumb enough to approach the shrine.

When Kagome rescued the little girl from a one way trip to hell, the nekomata was ready to tear her hair out. The others, knowing their miko had a tendency to down play the seriousness of what happened in her time, merely shook their heads, used to her doing reckless things in order to save someone.

It was after this that Arashi came out from the shadows and confronted Kirara about what was happening. He got his own lecture as thanks and their meeting ended not in a sweet reunion but in angry words that had the male nekomata storming off. The clan didn't actually meet him on that occasion but because most of the pack had been over at Kirara's, they'd heard Arashi's remarks and the females wondered how someone who'd lived so long could have been so clueless as to how his own mate felt about those that she'd chosen to guard. Even Sesshoumaru, his son, nephew and Miroku had shaken their heads at the stupidity of the man.

Sympathetic to Kirara's plight, Azami had shooed everyone away and sat down to have a heart-to-heart with the elder. "It seems that he doesn't want you to overwork yourself," the queen said, in an attempt to be fair to the absent Arashi.

"What he wants, is for me to leave you all to your own devices at this crucial time. Not that I think you are incapable of taking care of yourselves but I made a promise and I intend to fulfill it. Your father-in-law tricked me into becoming the guardian of his clan right after Midoriko was killed. I wanted revenge and he used my anger against me. Until the Quest plays out in full, that promise will not be complete.

"Arashi knows this, as he came into my life when the bloodlines needed for our warriors to be born into were being formed. Before I agreed to mate with him, I told him of my duty."

"By the sounds of things, he's similar in temperament to my own mate. He doesn't want your attention on anyone but himself. He could just be jealous."

"Unfortunately, that's exactly what he is. And his temper couldn't have sparked at a worse time. It's almost the time when Inuyasha and Kagome are going to be injured by those gang members. He suggested just taking them out before they could harm my kittens but you know that kind of interference is impossible."

Kirara sighed, getting up to look out her living room window. The city below glittered with lights, mimicking the stars that couldn't be seen. "He can be so impatient."

"Reminds me of someone," Azami mused quietly, a smile tugging at her lips. "Did you ever tell him that things would be easier if he helped? That your attention wouldn't be six ways to Sunday if he did? I imagine he could get a lot off it for himself if that were the case."

Kirara's lips curved in anticipation, the glint in her eyes saying that the idea had merit. "You raise a good point, Azami. I shall make it clear to that arrogant male that he could have me more often to himself if he would just lend a hand. After all, if we split the duties, I might actually have a day where I wasn't worrying about you lot while the Quest is going on."

"It's not going to be easy," Azami warned. "He hates dogs."

"Isn't it a good thing then, that I specialize in difficult?" Once more resolute, the fire cat faced her friend again. "Thank you. Sometimes it's hard being the one always doling out advice. Every once and a while, I need a sounding board that's not selfish."

"My pleasure," Azami said and smiled a young half demon rang into the room.

"Mama, Papa says it's time to go home."

"Speaking of selfish," the auburn haired part faerie laughed and rose. "Let me know how things go. Perhaps we can finally meet this elusive fire cat who's been in the background this whole time."

"Perhaps," Kirara said and watched as Azami left with her son Akiyo. Going to her desk, she picked up her cell and dialed the one number she purposely kept out of her contact list. When the deep voice she knew well answered, the nekomata made sure her own was clipped.

"If you would help, I'd have more time with you. A lot of time. And as for taking out the gang, while that has a lovely ring to it, to mess with the timeline could ruin the whole Quest. You may be willing to risk Naraku winning, but we are not."

"Why would it do that?"

"It is because they are injured that Inuyasha and Kagome have the opportunity to work out their feelings for each other and confess their love. I'm all for going after the criminals after the fact. Sesshoumaru will order their immediate annihilation once things play out as they should."

"I see. I will consider it."

"Selfish man," she said and left things at that.


	24. Chapter 24

_A/N: Some more people to thank for reviews since I updated yesterday: __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**impulse960**__, __**blackdame**__, __**ScarletCamellia**__, and __**Taraah36**__. You were wondering if Arashi would make an actual appearance. Well, keep reading._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 24_

When the day arrived that Kagome and Inuyasha were to be hurt, Kirara paced in her office, checking the clock and waiting for the phone call from the baker Aite-san that would let her know when the adolescent versions of her two kittens arrived at the helpful demon's establishment. Aite had been placed there several years ago so that he could keep track of Kagome when she went to school and would be on hand should anyone bother the young miko. Since no one had ever done so, they were all lax in their thinking.

Kirara had never told Sesshoumaru or Shippou the exact date that the two would be hurt, figuring that both would likely be ready to go on the warpath when the time came. It would be hard to restrain both if they got wind of the incident ahead of time. Since Azami had agreed, she was content to let things play out as Inuyasha had told her.

The sun had just dipped below the horizon when she got the call that Kagome had passed Aite's place with her friends on the way to dinner. Ironically enough, the restaurant they were going to was owned by a member of the clan although that information had never been shared with Inuyasha and Kagome either. It was a fairly new place so the duo didn't even know about it now.

Mentally doing a checklist of all that she needed, Kirara packed her car and was ready to go when she got the call. Even though she was expecting it, it still hurt her to hear that two of her kittens had been injured so. Any youkai or spiritually aware person would have been able to see her twin tails lashing in agitation as she got in and made her way to the bakery.

Recalling all that the pup in front of her had told her, Kirara quickly administered a sedative to Kagome so that she wouldn't wake up and see her. Then she proceeded to remove the bullets from Inuyasha's body, praying that they would heal enough before tomorrow even while knowing they wouldn't.

"Lady Kirara…" Aite began only to be hushed with a hiss. She didn't need to be distracted at the moment. Once she had done what she could for them, she turned her attention to the baker. It was during this that Inuyasha woke briefly.

Getting him to rest had been a chore but luckily he was too injured to say and complain much. Lifting him into her arms, she placed him in her car, Kagome beside him and took him home. The nekomata made sure that her concealment spell was off so that Higurashi-san was able to see who she was and that she meant these precious kittens no harm.

It was only as she was getting out of her car at home that her knees gave way and she sank back against the vehicle for support. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply, aware of the fact that she wasn't as calm as she had let everyone believe. Even though she had tried to make sure no one died from the fight, she was unable to help the leader of the gang that had gone against a demon trying to protect his mate. Sesshoumaru's men had shone up just after that, the demon king coming to the conclusion when he couldn't reach her that something was wrong and leaping to the conclusion that it was _that_ time, he sent a squad out to take care of the mess.

Strong hands pulled her against a rock hard chest and Kirara opened her eyes as a familiar scent filled her senses. Arashi lifted her into his arms and carried her inside, not saying anything. Several of their children milled around his ankles until a low growl told them that she was fine and to back off in one breath. He laid her down, going into the nearby bathroom to get a glass of water for her.

"You could have called me first. I would have gone with you."

"Inuyasha would have reacted badly to an unfamiliar nekomata around him and Kagome. It is bad enough that Aite's scent was unknown to him." Kirara moved up in the bed until she was reclining on the pillows. She gazed at her mate, wondering why he had come. Glittering sapphire eyes told her nothing.

"You do not have to do everything on your own." Irritation laced Arashi's words but it was more out of concern for her health than anything else.

"I don't? Remind me again who it was that decided not to have anything to do with the Taisho clan despite being old enough to be considered an elder." Setting aside the glass, she began petting one of the kittens who had jumped up onto her lap.

"They are powerful enough to take care of themselves."

"What they need is an elder who is powerful enough to watch their backs. The Taisho men are arrogant and hot headed. You do not understand their mentality. Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru and all of their children are reckless when it comes to danger. And because so many humans are associated with the clan, they need watching over. Surely you can understand that, Arashi. My Sango may be a demon slayer but she has no supernatural powers. Who is going to protect her if she needs it without me to fight by her side and the others aren't around?"

"You have sent Hana to be her companion." Arashi settled next to her on the bed, picking up one of her hands. He had seen them as tiny paws, and giant ones, but the delicate fingers and claws she had now never ceased to intrigue him. The male nekomata had come into his third form nearly a hundred and fifty years before her but he had always been fascinated by her ability to transform into it for brief periods of time right alongside him.

Looking into her ruby eyes, he couldn't help the feeling of pride that over took him. She was ever the mother. Far be it for him to try to take that away from her. And he couldn't very well complain that she had neglected their children over the centuries because she hadn't. It wasn't in the nature of nekomata males to raise their kittens with their females but now that he had seen firsthand what she went through to protect those not of her blood, it would be petty of him to walk away without offering his assistance. Even the Dog General had taken responsibility for both of his sons.

Realizing that she hadn't responded to his comment, Arashi studied her again and found that while he had been lost in his thoughts, she had fallen asleep. "I suppose I'm going to have to help now," he said softly to himself. "I can't very well be upstaged by a dog demon."

"Mew!" the kitten on her mother's lap agreed, coming to brush against his arm. Several mews at his feet had him looking down.

"You all want food?" he asked incredulously, silently counting the number of young nekomatas. Seventeen all told and he absently wondered where the two that he didn't know had been dispatched to watch over some clan member or relative of a clan member.

"Mew!" they answered in chorus.

"Doesn't your mother ever feed you?"

"Of course I feed them. They're just gluttons but I probably did forget to feed them their dinner." Kirara yawned, too tired to move. "If you really want to help, you can start by doing that. Once you've perfected that task, you can move up to something more difficult."

"How generous of you." How hard could it be to feed seventeen kittens?

Ten minutes later he was glad he hadn't voiced his question out loud.


	25. Chapter 25

_A/N: To those of you who reviewed (__**Puppylove7**__, __**ScarletCamellia**__, __**blackdame**__, **xxdarienchibaloverxx** and __**Taraah36**__), thank you. Believe it or not, I actually have the rest of the story written. So here's what I'm going to do: every twenty four hours (give or take) a new chapter will be posted until the epilogue is up. That way for those of you who want to review, there will be a chance for you to do so._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 25_

The next night was a repeat of the one before as it was filled with anxiety. Sesshoumaru had been forewarned that his baby brother would end up in the hospital because of a nicked artery but he hadn't expected to feel the sense of dread he was currently experiencing. When the phone rang telling him Higurashi-san was on the other end, he tried for a calm façade.

"Mrs. Higurashi."

"You need to get over here now. Inuyasha has lost a lot of blood. He may need a transfusion and as you are his only blood relative, it is imperative that some of yours is on hand."

"I cannot interfere in the way things are happening, Higurashi-san."

"I know that but if Inuyasha dies as a human, there will be no killing Naraku in the past. Now get over here and help your brother. Dr. Kintaro told me your blood is a match so there is no reason for you to hesitate, young man."

For one brief moment he contemplated making a remark about how he was older than her but the swish of a nekomata tail caught out of the corner of his eye forestalled his words. It would not do to get Kirara mad at him. "He must not know I was there."

"Just get over here, or else."

"Or else?" he asked, this time truly amused.

"You do not wish to find out, do you, Sesshoumaru Taisho?"

"I will discuss it with Lady Kirara."

"As you wish," Kagome's mother answered and hung up. Closing the cell, Sesshoumaru turned to the nekomata. It seemed that he had been threatened. Having a human with no powers threaten him was a novel experience. Perhaps it was something every mother came equipped with the ability to do.

"Hn."

* * *

Azami was waiting for him when he returned from the hospital, worry on her brow. "How is otouto, really? I know he told us about his time in the hospital but he's always underplayed his injuries."

"It is nothing to worry over, koneko. The operation was a success and he will be out of the hospital by tomorrow afternoon, without doubt. It is imouto's injuries that are going to take time to heal."

"But they are safe?" she asked, brushing Aikyo's bangs off of his forehead as he slept on her lap.

Resting a hand on his youngest and bending to kiss the top of his mate's head, Sesshoumaru allowed a small smile to cross his normally stoic face. "They are safe," he affirmed. "Where are the twins?" he asked, suspicion gathering in gold eyes.

"They went to Shippou's for the week, remember? I sent them there so that they'd keep him occupied while the teenage versions of his adoptive parents were hurt and hospitalized."

"You put them together? An immature adult kitsune and two not quite mature half demons who happen to be our twins."

"Shippou has so many students he'll be too busy to get into mischief." Azami narrowed her eyes. "At least he'd better be too busy."

"Indeed."

* * *

A few days later Shippou sat down at his father's desk in the dojo office and picked up the phone to call his uncle. His grin showed fangs that glistened in the light coming from the window and had any of his supernaturally powered students been in the room, they would have seen them and the intent to do mischief in his eyes.

In the Feudal Era he had teased Inuyasha about going to school with Kagome. When the half dog demon had replied "when hell freezes over," the idea had come to him then to make just that happen. Miroku had given him the nudge he'd needed to get the gumption to do it.

"Taisho," was how his eldest uncle answered the phone and his grin got bigger. Shiro didn't bother to knock but came in and sat in the chair across from him to listen to the conversation.

"Uncle, I have this wonderful idea." Shippou picked up a pen and twirled it in his fingers. "How would you like to help hell freeze over?"

"Explain yourself," the clan leader demanded. If Sesshoumaru didn't like the idea, he'd have more to worry about than a scolding from his mother when she returned.

When he did, he could almost see the smile forming on the face of the Taiyoukai of Japan. It was the kind of smile that had everyone shrinking in fear of what he might do. "Do go on, nephew."

"Well, this is what I was thinking…" he proceeded with his plan, never thinking that either of his cousins would object to a little prank on his parents.

At five o'clock the next morning he would find out differently.

* * *

Sango put the phone down and glared at her husband. His sheepish expression told her he hadn't forgotten what it felt like to have Hiraikotsu knock him unconscious and he wasn't looking forward to repeating a process that hadn't been done in several years. "Whatever possessed you to encourage Shippou?" she asked, Hana jumping up onto the arm the sofa she was sitting on so that the demon slayer could pet her.

"Well, we know that it's because he went to school with her that he finally confessed. And since Sesshoumaru would never do anything that would endanger the past, I figured that it had to be Shippou who convinced him."

"One mistake, and I will bring Hiraikotsu down on you so hard, you won't be able to remember your own name."

"Yes, my dearest Sango," the houshi replied in contrition. Since she had done precisely that to one of her nephews in the past, he had no doubt that she would do it to him if something adverse happened. While it was true that they were taking a chance by meddling, Miroku truly thought that it was for the best.

"As long as you understand," the taijiya said and went to get ready for the day. The students would be up and wanting breakfast as soon as their morning meditations were done.

"I wish I could be a fly on the wall for all of this," he said to an empty room. "Oh, well, maybe I can have one of the guards record the confession."

* * *

In the Taisho penthouse Azami was having a similar conversation with Sesshoumaru. Aikyo stood in the entrance to his parents' suite and wondered why his father was taking such verbal abuse from his mother. He had never seen his sire look as contrite as he did at that moment. "Papa?" he asked tentatively when his mother had finally run out of things to say and had left the room in disgust.

"Never make your mate angry," was the advice that came as an answer. "Getting your mate angry can lead to all sorts of misfortune."

"I don't understand."

"I helped your cousin cause mischief."

"Oh, I see. You're not supposed to do that, Papa. We're under strict instructions from Aunt Kagome not to let Shippou get into any mischief while they're gone."

"Yes, I know," the demon king sighed.

* * *

Somewhere beyond the mystic veil in the realm of the faeries, Kagome watched as her brother-in-law helped plot against them with their son. Looking up at Kellan as the queen sat down on her thrown, the miko frowned. "Remind me to ground Shippou," she said to the older woman.

"Of course, my dear."


	26. Chapter 26

_A/N: Thank you to the following for reviewing: __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, __**HeatherLee**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**Victoria Pendragon**__, and __**ScarletCamellia**__. Another reason for waiting a day to post a new chapter is so that if anyone has a question, I can answer it and the reader won't get even more confused than they already might be. Hope you enjoy this chapter._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 26_

Kirara looked over her choice of students to watch over Inuyasha while he was attending Kagome's school. They all had only a slight connection to the Taisho clan and none of them had ever met Inuyasha before for obvious reasons. They were all human and had been born around the same time as the older version of her kittens had gone into a different dimension. They were however familiar with her as she had been the go-between for some of their parents. Spotting a boy who reminded her of Miroku in temperament and looks, she chose him as he was related to Kohaku and Rin in a very distant manner. His scent would be somewhat familiar to the adolescent half dog demon but not enough so that he would know someone had been sent to keep an eye on him.

When the student was told the reason for her asking the favor, he readily agreed, having heard that his classmate Higurashi had been attacked and that the young man attending with her was actually there to guard her but that he had had private tutors as a child and didn't know how high school worked. As Kagome couldn't be everywhere with him, Kirara wanted someone who could go where she couldn't just in case.

Being asked by a member of the Taisho clan for a favor was a rare occurrence and the young man did it without complaint. He owed the nekomata anyway as it had been she who'd arranged it so that his parents could get married. Had he any spiritual powers, he would have known that he wasn't talking to an ordinary woman, but as he didn't, his connection to the youkai world would remain remote.

Satisfied that all was as well as it could be, Kirara continued her search with Sesshoumaru's men for the rest of the gang that had harmed her kittens. Arashi took an interest in things at this point although he remained away from the head of youkai royalty. He preferred to watch over the shrine from afar as part of his contribution so that the minions could do the grunt work. Luckily between the distance he kept from the shrine and the smells of the city, Inuyasha never got wind of his scent.

The days and weeks passed, every member of the clan feeling a distinct sense of already having gone through a waiting period mirroring what was happening. Thankfully Miroku and Sango had enough to do to keep them from being bored and since Shippou was grounded, he wasn't allowed to be anywhere but at the dojo teaching his students. When the gang members surfaced, Arashi took charge, going with the two agents who had interviewed Kagome and Inuyasha to clean up the mess that the young Taisho lord created when beating the crap out of the criminals.

And much to his mate's surprise, it was he who recorded the conversation between Kagome and Inuyasha when the young lord finally confessed. Arashi had wanted proof, or so he said that this was the turning point in the relationship but Kirara rather thought that he was becoming just as involved in the clan's business as she was. It was either that, or he wanted something to hold over the older Inuyasha when he returned from the faerie realm. If Miroku ever got a hold of the recording, there would be a dead monk to cover up in the near future.

Kirara was visiting Sesshoumaru, Shippou along for the ride, when news came that the Hojos were trying to connect their family with Kagome's through marriage. Well within her element, she arrived at the shrine in time to prevent the murder of her kitten's classmate by an enraged demon who felt threatened. She didn't end up leaving until she'd shone her saber toothed form to Kagome's brother, something Arashi teased her about later.

The remaining time for her kittens to move between the past and the present passed relatively smoothly, with the exception of the day she was called by Azami in a panic because Hisana had gotten it into her head to visit Mrs. Higurashi _before_ the agreed upon amount of time had gone by. It was something she should have been prepared for as the dog demon lady was known for not keeping her promises.

"She's gone too far," Kirara raged to her mate, stuffing her feet into shoes that she could easily slip off once at the shrine. Blood would no doubt be spilled if she didn't get there soon. The nekomata might not have minded a little fight between mothers but it would be grossly unfair as Mama Higurashi didn't have powers that would help her fight, or more importantly help her heal.

"Well, Higurashi-san did invite her," Arashi tried, but only got a snarl in reply.

"Of course, she did. Her pride as a mother is on the line. Inuyasha has been given strict instructions to keep his baser instincts to himself until Kagome graduates and Hisana is just making things more difficult. You know darn well that Hisana planned and executed a clan wedding in the Feudal Era without Higurashi-san's knowledge."

"I don't understand what's so important about a wedding anyway…" he said as he followed her out of the apartment.

"Of course you don't, you're a man and a nekomata to boot. You're incapable of understanding the reason." Clearly in a snit, Kirara slammed her car door and almost took off without her mate.

Deciding that it was best that he go along for the ride, to prevent the murder of a dog demon (he'd realize the irony later), Arashi kept his mouth shut about his thoughts on the matter. Sitting in the car while Kirara played referee wasn't his ideal choice of spending the day with his mate but it was better than nothing.

Knowing how angry she had been when she'd gotten the call from Azami, the male fire cat was surprised when Kirara returned, laughing and with mirth shining in her ruby eyes. Hisana followed her down the shrine steps, curiously docile. The two parted ways at street level and when his mate got in, Arashi couldn't contain his wonderment.

"What happened?"

"Ramen happened," she replied and gave in to another bout of laughter. Kirara sat behind the wheel for several minutes until she got herself under control. "Other than that, I do not believe I have to worry about Hisana encountering Higurashi-san again. It was priceless, absolutely priceless."

"I am relieved that you are happy once again." Leaning over the console, he kissed her cheek and smoothed her hair away from her face. "Let us go home, mate."

"That reminds me, I really should stock up on food. Maybe some ramen is called for. Never know when you're going to need to blackmail a dog demon."

* * *

Her pride in tatters, Hisana stormed into her son's penthouse and sank into a nearby chair with none of her usual grace. Her grandchildren looked up from their activities, used to her theatrics. Azami came out of the kitchen and upon seeing her mother-in-law's disgruntled face, sighed in relief. Kirara had clearly gotten to the Higurashi Shrine in time.

"I see that you've returned, Mother Hisana. Would you like me to fix you something to eat?"

"I have had lunch, thank you," the Lady Mother said shortly.

"Oh, not even ramen?" the younger woman queried, unable to resist.

"Do _not_ mention ramen."

"As you wish," Azami said, now having a vague idea of what had occurred. "Hoisted by your own petard, weren't you?" The thought was a pleasing one.

"_Do_ be quiet."


	27. Chapter 27

_A/N: Some to thank for their reviews:** HeatherLee**, **Victoria Pendragon**, **Taraah36**, **xxdarienchibaloverxx**, and **blackdame**. And thank you to the person who added this to their story alert list. Only the epilogue remains after this._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Ch. 27_

Crisis averted, Kirara went back to arranging marriages between people she actually thought would make good partners based on love and other compatibilities rather than business and family lineages. It was her business after all and although she had more money than she, or her kittens would ever spend, it wouldn't do for her to simply live off of that largess. People might begin to wonder what she did all day if there was no discernable income. She didn't need outsiders to wonder why she was watching a group of people without their knowledge.

Kagome's graduation loomed near and the others in the clan were getting anxious. Shippou especially seemed antsy, wanting his parents with him again. He might be an adult kitsune and chafed under the maternal attentions that he got when both Kagome and Sango felt the need but there was no getting around the fact that he loved them and hated to be apart from them for significant lengths of time.

Arashi, seeing that things were calming down, went back to his own livelihood, watching once again from the shadows what went on in the Taisho clan and even sympathizing with the males when Azami, Sango, Rin, and Yuki, all made noises about how they couldn't wait to see the two missing members again. He had lost track of the number of times Kirara had done the same. He was tempted in fact to introduce himself just so he could openly commiserate but still held back. His opinion of dogs hadn't changed but he could see how Kirara had come to care for the others.

While the two nekomatas when back to business as usual, Azami prepared to welcome back Inuyasha and Kagome while trying to teach her twins how to use the powers they'd gotten from the faerie side of their family. Kellan had long ago taught them to control their gifts but she had left the majority of the teaching in her hands. When they were old enough to learn they had concentrated on their demon powers, practically ignoring their _other_ heritage. Both had been more interested in what they could destroy than in what they could create. Aside from the one time that Yuki had used her Dream gift to save her mother's life, Azami had never been aware of them using their Fae powers at all.

Neither was very enthused with the lessons, and Azami wished that she'd gotten them to practice when they were younger. Their attention spans might have been shorter but at least they obeyed better as children than as young adults. It was only when she mentioned that they very well might be able to fly at some point that they concentrated.

Sesshoumaru stayed clear of those lessons, having learned that his son might prefer the poison in his claws but he wasn't shy about using his aura to fry anything that got in the way. That often meant an ill-timed visit from a family member while his heir tried to concentrate and direct his energy. Instead the demon king focused on politics and business, anticipating the time when he could dump a large number of things into his brother's unsuspecting lap. Kohaku had been named CEO of Taisho Enterprises some time ago and that took the large amount of weight off of his shoulders concerning their holdings. Including the Slayer Academy that they'd created in the old village of Sango and Kohaku's.

Rin was headmistress and admission was by referral only. They sent students of Miroku's as well as others they believed were trustworthy and just to learn how to slay low level demons that still plagued humans. There they were taught about how to tell the good from the bad. Any demons of significant strength were left to the older demons and half demons to take care of. Dai and Roku had become the stars of Sesshoumaru's elite execution squad while their sisters, along with Shion, preferred to be teachers.

All in all, Sesshoumaru thought now, looking over the preparations for Inuyasha and Kagome's reintegration in Japanese society, the clan had become a stable and functioning entity of its own. He wouldn't have to worry if one person fell because there were so many ready to step in and help. And while he mourned those that had fallen in battle or died of old age, he gloried in the knowledge that his pack would be controlling the youkai of Japan for centuries to come.

"Father, can you please tell Mother that we've had enough for today?" Shiro, sweat on his brow leaned against the doorframe of his father's home office.

"You wish me to tell your mother that I know better than she does about Fae powers?"

"No just that we're done for. I'm exhausted."

"I see." The demon king grimaced when he heard his mate shout for their son. "I think not," he said, going back to his paperwork.

"But you're the man. Can't you order her to or something?" Disbelief colored his son's words.

"I think, Shiroken that you will have to wait until you are mated to understand the dynamics of a mateship."

"You're whipped," Shiro charged. He could feel his mother coming up behind him.

"Now you begin to understand." Gold eyes met his mate's over Shiro's shoulder. "When it comes to our children, the Taisho men bow to a higher authority." They had no other choice. Every single one of them preferred a warm bed rather than the couch. Sesshoumaru, his brother, Miroku and even Kohaku had learned over the centuries that their wives were strong enough to force the issue if need be. There was no getting around the fact that if one of them said no, they meant no.

"We have such good husbands and mates," Azami praised. Giving her husband a smile, she dragged her son back to practice.

"We try," Sesshoumaru murmured when she'd left. They often failed but they'd also learned over the years that they got points for trying.

The day after the lesson gone awry, Azami was packing bentos for the group living with them currently. Eighteen year old Kagome would be graduating and Azami had grudgingly agreed to allow several of the pack members to watch it from afar. Shippou had eagerly gone with his cousins to pick a spot and they'd come back with the news that it was going to be held indoors. Getting permission to record the proceedings for remote viewing purposes had been tough but now they were set so that they could watch what happened inside the auditorium as well as what happened after the graduates left the building.

"We're going to be late, Mother," Yuki chided, her sister by her side. It wasn't often the two princesses got together anymore so it was an occasion when it happened.

"We will only be late if your brothers are any slower getting dressed. Go hurry them along, please." The girls went to do as bid, and Azami caught Kohaku on his way out the door. "Where's Sesshoumaru?"

"Taking a call."

"Go tell him to end it. I don't care if he's talking to the emperor." She did, but she wanted to stress the importance of her order on the younger man.

"Yes, Mother."

Shippou bounced on his heels as he waited for Miroku and Sango to get off of the train. He had come into the city the night before and now waited until he could bring his aunt and uncle to his mother's school. Excitement thrummed through him, his eagerness palpable. Emerald eyes glowed with the feeling of anticipation. By next week, he would have his mother and father with him again.

Sango spotted him first and she couldn't help the rush of love in her heart for the orphaned fox demon. "We're coming, Shippou."

"It is too bad that we cannot take any pictures," Miroku said as he followed the two onto the subway car that would take them closest to the building they had appropriated for the occasion.

"I'm sure Higurashi-san will have plenty for us to peruse when we finally meet her." Sango knew that he was looking for different kinds of photos to tease their younger sister with.

"True, Okaa-san did say that Obaa-san liked to take all kinds."

"Almost, Shippou, almost," Sango reassured and kissed the cheek of her nephew.

"Would it seem childish if I asked for a lollipop when I finally do see Okaa-san again?"

"No," the couple said together. Whether Kagome would willingly give her cub one or not, that was a different story. Even though the aunts had grounded Shippou not once but twice since the Quested started and finished, that didn't mean the miko wouldn't do it a second time.

"What's that look for?" Shippou asked, seeing the silent message pass between husband and wife.

"You've gotten into a rather large bit of mischief in the last few years, my young friend."

"But I've been punished. And I've learned my lesson, honest. No more messing with the timeline."

"Be sure to tell your mother that when she comes through the portal. Before she has a chance to open her mouth."

"Right. Maybe a hug and a kiss would do it. She's always been partial to those," the fox demon said as they made their way to the viewing room. The others of the pack were there, getting ready for the main event.

"That she is," Miroku agreed.

* * *

Arashi was sent by Kirara to watch the final departure of Kagome and Inuyasha through the well. The nekomata guardian didn't trust any of the others not to make a mistake. Shippou had nearly blown their cover at the graduation ceremony when he'd sent fox magic made fireworks into the air in celebration. The males had seen Inuyasha's head jerk towards the building at the familiar _youki_ exploding high in the sky.

Once he was sure that all was well at the shrine, he returned to his mate. They were going to the Taisho estate out in the country and there he would meet everyone face-to-face for the first time. The kittens were all piled into the back seat of the car and he was perversely glad that the estate would get overrun by his children. He was that is, until Kirara informed him nonchalantly that they'd been there before and no one minded. "Don't be a spoiled sport," she admonished. "Inuyasha and Kagome are coming home. Then we can go on a nice, long vacation before they'll need us again."

"You're the one who needs the vacation."

"I suppose you're going to let me go out of the country by myself?"

"No," he admitted. The opportunity to have her all to himself was just within sight. There was no way he was going to let her go someplace where a bunch of strange human men could ogle her.

"I didn't think so."

They drove the rest of the way in silence and settled into their rooms quickly. Everyone was too excited to have the miko and hanyou with them again to think of waiting any longer then absolutely necessary for them to return. Bags were dumped into rooms and people congregated in the living room. Arashi's introduction to the clan was anticlimactic compared to the anticipated event. He didn't mind as he wanted to stay in the background anyway. The only thing that passed between him and the others were greetings before their attention was turned on the faerie queen. Kellan had arrived that morning saying that Kagome was running late.

No one was surprised.

As a team, the inutachi and the royal pack turned and watched the pathway to the faerie realm open. As one they held their breaths, waiting as first Inuyasha and then Kagome came through. Delight sprang onto Shippou's face and with a shout for his adoptive parents, sprang up in his true form so that Kagome could hold him.

Only to be suspended by his tail by Inuyasha. Confusion lit fox eyes and he looked a question at his father. "You set off fireworks made with your fox magic at your mother's high school graduation. Don't think that I didn't notice, Shippou."

A whine followed this statement and the kitsune looked to his mother for help. She kissed his snout and rubbed an ear before gazing at him sternly. "You do know what's coming, don't you, young man?" Ears flattened at the question. "You endangered the secrecy of youkai society. I heard one of my classmates say he thought he heard them. So, as punishment, you are grounded."

"Gee, Shippou, that'll make three times in three years. That's a record, isn't it?" Akiyo asked, looking at the aunt and uncle he'd never met.

"Do you want to join him?" his mother scolded. She got the "puppy dog" eyes in answer and wasn't moved at all. Azami turned to the duo facing the rest of them and held out her arms. "Welcome home," she said and saw the tears forming in the priestess' eyes.

"Keh, it's good to be home," Inuyasha, plopping his son into his mother's arms. "Aniki, I'd never thought I'd say I missed you, but I did."

"Likewise, otouto."

It was pandemonium after that, with everyone trying to talk over the other and catch up on things not mentioned in letters. Kirara and Arashi stood to one side and watched the entire thing, glad the ordeal was over. "Are you happy, Kirara? They're back."

"I am."


	28. Epilogue

_A/N: Thank you to the following reviewers: __**ScarletCamellia**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**blackdame**__, __**butterfly here i come**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, and __**HeatherLee**__. I had one reviewer tell me that she thought I was going to leave it as a cliff hanger. I'd ask if you all thought I'd be that cruel but I remembered that I have done that in the past. No, this epilogue wraps things up nicely and flows into the prologue of "Family Reunion." The prologue of that story will be up later today. Probably most of you will be able to read both one right after the other, depending on where you live as opposed to me. New stories do take 4-8 hours to appear in the public listing but an author alert should get around that. Unless I'm very much mistaken. I hope you all have enjoyed this story and go on to read the fifth and final in the series._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_The Nekomata Guardian_

_Epilogue_

Kagome stared at the ceiling of the bed she shared with her husband and mate, thinking of all that had happened since stepping through that portal only hours ago. Inuyasha dosed beside her, happy to be away from the faeries who had been a constant nuisance since he arrived in the faerie realm. Apparently it wasn't only human females who liked dog ears. "Is it me, or did Shippou's true form get bigger?"

"It's your memory, wench. Can we go to sleep now?"

"When do you think we'll be able to go see Mama and the others?"

"Two years, you know that. Your mother knows we'll come see when we can."

"But what if she thinks something happened to us because we didn't come home right away?"

"She knows Kirara would have told her, koiishi. Just go to sleep and in the morning we'll begin our new life. Soon you'll be able to see that trio of school friends of yours too."

"Yes, I wonder how they are."

"No doubt they're fine. Kagome, please go to sleep. Sesshoumaru has threatened me with a mound of paperwork and a week straight in the office. I can't rest unless you do."

Kagome turned and laid her head on his chest. A clawed hand gently stroked her hair. "You've always been like that." Closing her eyes, the miko went to do as he asked when another thought occurred to her. "Who was that nekomata with Kirara?"

"Arashi, her mate."

"Kirara has a mate?"

"What, you didn't think that she gave birth to those kittens without help did you? Nekomatas are different from normal youkai but not _that_ different." Unable to help himself, Inuyasha chuckled. "You can be such a ditz."

"Watch it dog boy, I can still make you sit." Her beloved knight just kept laughing.

* * *

In another wing of the estate Kirara listened to Inuyasha's laughter and felt tears burn in her eyes. Arashi sat up on his elbow, studying her face. "What's wrong, koneko?"

"Do you hear that laughter? That is the reason I stayed so close to this clan all these years. To be here the day I heard that carefree laughter." Turning her head, Kirara allowed him to kiss the tears rolling down her cheeks. "There is no sweeter sound to me than that laughter. It tells me that after every sorrow, there is joy."

"You are the best nekomata guardian in history," Arashi soothed. "It is because you loved kittens not your own that the Inutaisho's sons were able to prosper and take their rightful place in youkai society."

"I will always love them, and I will always be their nekomata guardian."


End file.
